Italian Basketball Star Felipe Motta Claims To Be Tall 'Alien' In Viral Brazil Video

The viral video of a tall "alien" on a hill in Brazil may have already been debunked ... according to an international basketball star who's claiming to be the subject in the clip.

Italian athlete Felipe Motta, who plays for Brazil's Flamengo club, posted online about the confusing clip after it made the rounds -- but as others thought the lanky being was from a different planet, he says the clip shows him on a hike on the island of Ilha do Mel.

He says he was on a trail and enjoying the sweet view when the video was taken from a low angle, and everyone went crazy over it ... which, believe it or not, isn't new for him.

Felipe claims his 6-foot-5-inch height is something that folks have always poked fun at -- and he showed off all tall guy struggles he deals with on the daily ... but jokingly admits he'll warn people the next time he decides to take a hike.

As we reported, locals claimed they saw at least 2 figures up on the hill ... with the woman who filmed the video saying it's impossible for a human to get up there.

The Brazilian government posted about the viral video, but appeared to play it off as a hoax as a way to get folks to come visit the island ... but Felipe is looking to put the theories about it to rest.