First impression of Suns' guard Leandro Barbosa is his
resemblance to pop singer Usher. It goes beyond the small eyes
and the baby face that hides well his 23 birthdays. He is
courteous and cordial and flashes a smile almost too ’
Hollywood’ for a kid from Sao Paulo. But it probably is not
Hollywood so much as it is history. Brazil gave us showman Pele
in soccer, Gigglin' Guga in tennis and finally Leandro
Barbosa 'Leandrinho' in basketball. Over the years, Brazil
enjoyed dominance in both soccer and tennis, and basketball
might not be too far away. Barbosa explains.
"Nene got in the NBA and he opened the door for other players
in Brazil. After the season that he did play in the NBA he did
a great job, so the people in the NBA started looking at us
with different eyes and that helped. I went with our national
team to Indianapolis to the 2002 World Championships and I made
a couple of contacts though my agent. I came to the draft and
after that I left my country and my team in Brazil and went to
Cleveland to work out for three months. I got picked by San
Antonio and was traded to the Phoenix Suns."
Things were moving rapidly at the World Championships and
beyond. Going against powerhouses like Argentina, Yugoslavia
and Spain and yet finishing in the 8th spot, the tournament was
a success both for the Brazilian national team and Barbosa
himself. He peaked the interest of select NBA scouts and was
drafted as the 28th pick in the 2003 draft. Barbosa, or L.B. as
he is known among fellow Suns, feels that the good showing in
Indianapolis -- his first visit to the United States -- led to
the success he is currently having with the Suns.
"I was really happy in Indianapolis, I had a dream to come to
America, it is a country that everybody wanted to be, I was
really happy the first time, it was great. And now in Phoenix,
I am very happy to play with a lot of stars like Raja, Shawn
Marion, Steve Nash; they helped me out a lot. We are really
good friends, the whole team. We always stick together, that is
very important for the team. When a player misses something or
makes a mistake, everybody helps each other."
Spoken like a true student of team sports. Barbosa spent five
years playing basketball at the highest level in Brazil and had
established himself as a sharpshooter at the very start. He fit
well with the team and because of his size and demeanor was
even given the playfully diminutive nickname Leandrinho, or
little Leandro. Although playing in the NBA is what he always
wanted, leaving the security and comfort of his home country
and his national team was going to be a challenge. In meeting
that challenge, Barbosa and his game had both evolved.
"It changed a lot, you know. I got a lot of help from the
coaches. First time I got here it was really hard because I
could not speak English. Hopefully, it is getting better. I am
feeling comfortable. I have been making a lot of friends and it
has been helpful, I am feeling more comfortable than before.
resemblance to pop singer Usher. It goes beyond the small eyes
and the baby face that hides well his 23 birthdays. He is
courteous and cordial and flashes a smile almost too ’
Hollywood’ for a kid from Sao Paulo. But it probably is not
Hollywood so much as it is history. Brazil gave us showman Pele
in soccer, Gigglin' Guga in tennis and finally Leandro
Barbosa 'Leandrinho' in basketball. Over the years, Brazil
enjoyed dominance in both soccer and tennis, and basketball
might not be too far away. Barbosa explains.
"Nene got in the NBA and he opened the door for other players
in Brazil. After the season that he did play in the NBA he did
a great job, so the people in the NBA started looking at us
with different eyes and that helped. I went with our national
team to Indianapolis to the 2002 World Championships and I made
a couple of contacts though my agent. I came to the draft and
after that I left my country and my team in Brazil and went to
Cleveland to work out for three months. I got picked by San
Antonio and was traded to the Phoenix Suns."
Things were moving rapidly at the World Championships and
beyond. Going against powerhouses like Argentina, Yugoslavia
and Spain and yet finishing in the 8th spot, the tournament was
a success both for the Brazilian national team and Barbosa
himself. He peaked the interest of select NBA scouts and was
drafted as the 28th pick in the 2003 draft. Barbosa, or L.B. as
he is known among fellow Suns, feels that the good showing in
Indianapolis -- his first visit to the United States -- led to
the success he is currently having with the Suns.
"I was really happy in Indianapolis, I had a dream to come to
America, it is a country that everybody wanted to be, I was
really happy the first time, it was great. And now in Phoenix,
I am very happy to play with a lot of stars like Raja, Shawn
Marion, Steve Nash; they helped me out a lot. We are really
good friends, the whole team. We always stick together, that is
very important for the team. When a player misses something or
makes a mistake, everybody helps each other."
Spoken like a true student of team sports. Barbosa spent five
years playing basketball at the highest level in Brazil and had
established himself as a sharpshooter at the very start. He fit
well with the team and because of his size and demeanor was
even given the playfully diminutive nickname Leandrinho, or
little Leandro. Although playing in the NBA is what he always
wanted, leaving the security and comfort of his home country
and his national team was going to be a challenge. In meeting
that challenge, Barbosa and his game had both evolved.
"It changed a lot, you know. I got a lot of help from the
coaches. First time I got here it was really hard because I
could not speak English. Hopefully, it is getting better. I am
feeling comfortable. I have been making a lot of friends and it
has been helpful, I am feeling more comfortable than before.
