JJ Barea

At 40 years old, JJ Barea has this physical status:

José Manuel "J. et al.

"J" is a play. Barea Mora (born June 26, 1984) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player with the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks (NBA).

He played basketball for Northeastern University before joining the Mavericks in 2006, becoming the seventh Puerto Rican to play in the NBA.

He won an NBA championship with the Mavericks in 2011 before moving to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent the next three seasons.

He has competed in the NBA Development League and the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. In the 2006 and 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, Barea was a member of the Puerto Rican national team that received the gold medal.

When Puerto Rico won the gold medal in the 2011 Pan American Games and then the silver medal in the 2007 Pan American Games, he was the starting point guard.

Early life

Barea was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico's west coast, in 1984 to parents Marta (née Mora) and Jaime Barea. He grew up in Mayagüez's upper-middle class neighborhood, with an engineer father and a mother who was a retired professor as well as a volleyball and tennis coach. For seven years, Barea was a member of Boy Scouts of America Troop 790.

Barea began playing basketball for Indios de Mayagüez of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in 2001 (BSN). He travelled to Florida to attend high school at Miami Christian School in Miami, Florida, later that year. In 2001–02, he averaged 20 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals, leading his team to the state championship and a 38–2 record. He made a name for himself at the City of Palms, the team's top scorer, and displayed a sharp shot from three-point range during the team's game in December 2001. He enrolled at Northeastern University in April 2002.

After attending Northeastern University, Barea will return to Puerto Rico to resurrect Indios de Mayagüez in 2002; he averaged 2.8 points in 14 games.

Personal life

Although being listed as 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) by the NBA, Barea's mother insists his true height is around 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m). When Barea was 6 foot in pregame player debuts, he'd sometimes had to stop giggling "because me and about 20,000 others in the arena knew it was a lie."

Barea revealed in March 2011 that he was in a relationship with Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera. They revealed in July 2011 that they were expecting their first child. On February 17, 2012, Rivera welcomed their son Sebastián José Barea Rivera. At the time, Barea was present at the birth. In April 2013, the couple announced their divorce.

Viviana Ortiz, a 2013 dating actress and Miss Universe Puerto Rico, began dating in the summer of 2013. They announced in February 2016 that they were expecting their first child. Paulina Barea Ortiz, the couple's daughter, was born on March 31, 2016. On August 20, 2016, Barea and Ortiz were married in a lavish ceremony at the church of the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

On a five-day flight, Barea spoke to his parents on a family friend's phone to tell them that Mavs owner Mark Cuban had loaned him the team plane to fly down to Puerto Rico the next day with food, water, and supplies. The Mavs' team made the trip five times, delivering more than 100,000 pounds of food, water, power generators, and other items. Barea made the trip twice, though his stay-at-home wife managed the other four trips and concentrated full-time on the relief efforts. For his efforts in assisting Puerto Rico, Barea was given the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and the Mannie Jackson Award, which recognizes human spirit.

Barea is 12 credits shy of graduating from Northeastern University. Jaime, a surgeon, and Jason, an engineer, are his older brothers. Only a few times a year, Barea's hometown Mayagüez comes back to his hometown Mayagüez, and usually stops first in Barrio, a poorer part of town where his father used to drive daily to pick up his teammates. His foundation, before the storm, was focusing on reconstructing basketball courts in impoverished areas. He hosts many basketball clinics throughout the island each summer, and he usually donates uniforms and equipment for the youth leagues run by Tommy Zapata, who coached Barea from the time he was a 3-year-old who could dribble the ball ambidextrously.

Source

College career

After averaging a conference-leading 17 points to go along with 3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.9 steals in 28 games, Barea's third-team All-America East Conference (AEC) and AEC All-Rookie team honors gained third-team All-Rookie team distinctions as a freshman for the Northeastern Huskies in 2002-2003. He was the first freshman in Husky basketball history to score 400 points and 100 assists in a season and had a team-high 25 games of scoring in double figures.

Since finishing second in the league in both scoring (20.7 ppg) and assists (5.7 apg) and becoming the first Husky since Reggie Lewis in 1986–87 to average at least 20 points per game, as a sophomore in 2003–04, Barea earned First Team All-America East honors.

Barea was ranked second in the America East and eighth in scoring (22.2 ppg); he also led the conference and was fifth in the nation in assists (7.3 apg). For the second year in a row, he earned first-team All-AEC awards. He came in third in assists (218), fourth in three-pointers (68), and sixth in points (665), and tied for third in Northeastern's single-season charts, and tied for third in assists (218), and fifth in points (665), and tied for fourth in points (665), and tied for sixth in assists (261), and sixth in points (665), and tied for fourth in points (465), and tied for fourth in points (665), and tied for the Ston aw a He was also named a finalist for the illustrious Bob Cousy Award.

According to CollegeInsider.com, Barea was named Honorable Mention All-America by the Associated Press as a senior in 2005–06, the first-team All-America, first-team All-CAA, first-team NABC All-Major Player of the Year. He led Northeastern and came in third in the nation in assists (8.4 apg), and he placed 19th in scoring (21.0 ppg). Barea was also selected as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award this year. Barea's second all-time leading scorer, with 2,209 points behind Reggie Lewis, and Northeastern as the school's second all-time leader in assists, with 721, and its leader in three-point field goals made (255).

Barea had a good showing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia in April 2006, averaging of 14.0 points, 13.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game in three tournaments. In a 118–100 win over Norfolk Sports Club, Barea broke the single-game and single-tournament assist record, dishing out 18 assists for Beach Barton Ford, giving him 41 assists in three games. Allen Iverson A.I. received the tournament's first Allen Iverson A.I. Award for his efforts. The player who is deemed most important to his squad receives the award.

Professional career

After the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Barea returned to Puerto Rico to join Cangrejeros de Santurce for the 2006 BSN season, where he averaged 10.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in nine games.

Barea joined the Golden State Warriors in 2006 Las Vegas Summer League, a basketball player who went undrafted in the 2006 NBA draft, averaging 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2 steals in 21.4 minutes per game. He then joined the Dallas Mavericks for the Rocky Mountain Revue, where he averaged 12.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 25.0 minutes per game.

Barea signed a multi-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks on August 17, 2006. During a 76–107 loss to the Houston Rockets on November 4, 2006, he made his regular season debut for the franchise by scoring two points in two and a half minutes of action.

On January 17, 2007, Barea was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League. He was named D-League Performer of the Week on January 29, after he scored 40 points in two separate games while leading the Flyers to a 3–1 record. He was recalled by the Mavericks on February 1, 2007, scoring 29 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in eight D-League games.

In an 89-104 loss to the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2007, Barea scored a season-high 16 points in a season-high 16 points. He played in his first game for the Mavericks, in which he scored 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists during an 82-111 loss to the Golden State Warriors. In 33 regular season games, Barea had averages of 2.4 points, 0.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.7 steals. He also appeared in two playoff games for the Mavericks, scoring 0 points in three and a half total minutes.

The Dallas Mavericks returned to the Dallas Mavericks for the 2007 Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 16.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 27.6 minutes per game.

In a 123–102 victory over the Sacramento Kings on November 3, 2007, he scored a then-high 25 points, the first in his career. Since being averaging of 4.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 10.5 minutes per game, he continued to play in 44 regular season games (with 9 starts) for the Mavericks in 2007-08. He appeared in eight games against the New Orleans Hornets in addition to his playoff appearance.

Barea re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks to a three-year contract on July 9, 2008. In 2008-09, Barea's role on the team doubled. Barea's minutes per game double became a regular feature in games as manager Rick Carlisle began using a three-guard lineup featuring Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and Barea helped to spark an offensive streak in games. During an 86–93 loss to the Houston Rockets, Barea scored a then-high 26 points on February 20, 2009.

Barea made a startling appearance in the 2009 playoffs, bringing on Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs to his team. In his first playoff appearance, he scored 13 points and 7 assists.

Barea was also a key player for the Mavericks in 2009-2010. He played in 78 games (with 18 starts), averaged 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. During the season, he scored a season-high 23 points twice and appeared in all six of the Mavericks' playoff games, where they fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

The Mavericks used their $1.8 million 2010–11 team option on Barea's deal in June 2010.

Barea played in 81 games in the regular season, totaling 9.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 20.6 minutes per game. During an 87-99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored a then-high 29 points on January 1, 2011.

The Mavericks face the Los Angeles Lakers, the defending champions of the 2011 playoffs, in the second round of the 2011 playoffs. Barea converted 12 points from the bench to lead a fourth-quarter rally that culminated in Dallas' 93-81 victory. Barea was clotheslined by Lakers' forward Ron Artest/Metta World Piece, which was eventually suspended, with the game already decided and 24 seconds remaining. The Lakers lauded Barea's play, even comparing him to star point guard Chris Paul, while Kobe Bryant said "Barea kicked our asses" after the game.

The Mavericks defeated the Lakers in the final game of the season to advance in the series. Barea was the second-leading scorer for his team, scoring 22 points and 8 assists. At one point in the fourth quarter, Barea had darted down the lane and was about to finish a layup when Lakers center Andrew Bynum threw him an elbow; Barea's center had to collapse hard and Bynum had to be ejected right away. However, Barea recovered and continued the game until the end. The foul foul smell was described as "dangerous" by the singer. Initially, Bynum was unapologetic about the incident, saying, "We were getting embarrassed." They were just breaking us down. So I just fouled someone." He later released a formal apology to the league and to Barea. In consequence, the NBA suspended Bynum for the first five games of the next season, but the suspension was reduced to four games later in the season.

The Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals, defeating the Miami Heat led by Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. When they were down 1–2 in the series, coach Rick Carlisle decided to start Barea. Barea made a name for herself by becoming a key player in the entire series and winning the next three games. The Mavericks won their first NBA championship in franchise history when beating the Heat 4 games to two. Following Butch Lee's 1980 victory, Barea became the second Puerto Rican player to win an NBA championship. Barea appeared in three of his 21 playoff games for the Mavericks, averaging 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game.

Since failed talks to re-sign with the Mavericks, Barea began looking elsewhere, but because of the NBA lockout, he was unable to sign with another franchise. Following the lockout, Barea signed a four-year, $19 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 14, 2011.

In a 104-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 26, 2011, Barea made his Timberwolves debut, scoring 14 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. However, Barea's season was marred by ankle and thigh injuries as he played just 41 of 66 games for the Timberwolves in 2011–12. Despite this, Barea scored his first triple-double, putting up 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists in a 149-140 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23, 2012. Barea was the starting point guard during the last nine games, with injuries to starters Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love, and Luke Ridnour. During that time, Barea recorded a season-high 28 points and a career-high 15 assists.

Barea started the season on November 2, 2012, with 21 points and 5 assists against the Sacramento Kings. However, he strained his left foot in his fourth game, causing him to miss the next five games. When coming off the bench, Barea scored more than 25 minutes and 12.7 points per game in December. On April 12, he had his best game of the season, scoring 23 points against the Utah Jazz. He finished the season with 11.3 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game.

Barea served as the Timberwolves' back-up point guard from Ricky Rubio from 2013-2014. On November 15, he had his best offensive game against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 21 points to go with 4 assists. Kevin Love of the Timberwolves indirectly chastised Barea and Dante Cunningham for their behavior during game timeouts in January. Barea scored 8.4 points and 3.8 assists per game on the season.

The Timberwolves waived Barea on October 27, 2014, in the hopes of returning to the Dallas Mavericks.

Barea signed with the Dallas Mavericks on October 29, 2014, marking his second appearance in the franchise. As he entered the game off the bench in his first game back for Dallas on the following day, Barea received a standing ovation from the American Airlines Center crowd as he began the game off the bench in the first quarter. In the 120-102 victory over the Utah Jazz, he went on to score 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. In an 87-82 victory over the Jazz, Barea scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

Barea re-signed with the Mavericks on July 16, 2015, earning a four-year, $16 million deal. During a 119–118 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on December 23, 2015, Barea scored a career-high 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting. In a 118-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls, he made a career-high seven three-pointers and finished with 26 points. As the Mavericks rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Knicks, 91–89, he scored 26 points, including a go-ahead lay-down with 49.9 seconds remaining. During an 88–86 victory over the Houston Rockets, he helped the Mavericks win their fifth straight victory by posting game-highs of 27 points and 8 assists. Barea sustained his own injury on April 8, causing him to leave the game against the Memphis Grizzlies after only eight minutes, having been the Mavericks' sparkplug late in the season with Deron Williams sidelined. The groin injury continued to bother him throughout the remainder of the regular season and the Oklahoma City Thunder's first round playoff series.

In a 130–121 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Mavericks' season-opener on October 26, 2016, Barea scored 22 points in a 130–121 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers. On December 19, 2016, he returned to action after being without a month with a strained right calf. Against the Denver Nuggets, he had 11 points in 13 minutes. In January 2017, he returned to the hardwood after missing 20 games due to a left calf strain, a 105–96 win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 10, in which he shot 9 points to 3 assists in 14 minutes of play.

Barea made his 500th 3-point field goal as a Maverick on February 24, 2018, the eighth player in franchise history to reach 500 made 3-pointers. During a 119–112 loss to the Jazz on March 22, 2018, he had a season-high 23 points. The game was his 567th for the Mavericks, as the eighth-most in team history tied with Mark Aguirre.

In a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 11, 2019, Barea sustained a torn right Achilles tendon. Three days later, he underwent surgery.

The Dallas Mavericks recalled Barea on August 19, 2019. He played in 29 games this season, with a maximum of 15.5 minutes per game.

Barea re-signed for another year on December 1, 2020. He had been suspended nine days earlier.

Barea signed with Movistar Estudiantes of the LeB Oro on January 23, 2021, where he appeared in 18 games and averaged 12.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.3 turnovers in 22:45 minutes. He left Estudiantes in May 2021.

Barea's Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional on May 17, 2021. In 23 games, he averaged 12.4 points and 5 assists per game. Barea re-signed with the team on February 22, 2022.

In July 2022, Barea announced his retirement from competitive basketball.

National team career

Barea began his international career with Puerto Rico's Under-19 national team, 2003 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, where he finished third place in the tournament's Most Valuable Player poll. In the Under-21 Centrobasket tournament, in which Puerto Rico captured gold medals, Casi, Puerto Rico, was his next international appearance. Since leading the tournament in scoring, assists, and steals, Barea was named the Most Valuable Player award. His last appearance at the Under-21 World Championship was in 2005, where he finished fourth in scoring with an average of 17.6 points per game and led the tournament in assists with 7.3 per game as Puerto Rico finished seventh.

Barea made his senior national team debut in the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, where Puerto Rico captured the gold medal. With fourteen seconds remaining in the championship game against Panama, Barea drilled the decisive three-point basket, giving Puerto Rico a definite advantage. After six straight victories, Puerto Rico remained undefeated in the tournament. Since being voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player, Barea was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He was the primary point guard for the Puerto Rican team that won the silver medal in the 2007 Pan American Games. He played fewer minutes in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, where Puerto Rico claimed the bronze medal later this year. Barea participated in a string of preparatory tournaments in 2008 prior to the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He was in the starting lineup of these exhibition games. The Olympic Qualifying Tournament began on July 14, 2008, with Barea returning to the back-up point guard position behind Carlos Arroyo. Puerto Rico made it to the finals but did not qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Barea had averages of 12.4 points, 2.2 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game in this tournament.

After scoring 31 and 30 against Panama and the Dominican Republic respectively, Barea continued playing backup point guard at the 2008 Centrobasket tournament and advanced to the final round leading the tournament in points. Barea was promoted to the starting lineup in the last two games. Puerto Rico continued to win the gold medal of the tournament by defeating the United States Virgin Islands and Barea for its Most Valuable Player award. The Mavericks refused to allow Barea to compete in the FIBA Americas Championship for fear of re-injuring his left shoulder after having recently undergone post-season surgery to repair it. At the 2010 Centrobasket, Barea returned to international play, as the national team's starting point guard, while Arroyo was moved to the regular shooting guard position. Puerto Rico defeated Panama in the semi-finals and the Dominican Republic in the finals, winning the gold medal. Barea averaged 13.8 points and led CentroBasket in assists per game, with 7; for his efforts, he earned a spot on the tournament's All-Star Team.

At the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship, Barea helped Puerto Rico win a silver medal, and he was selected to the All-Tournament Team. He was also on the roster of the national team that competed in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Despite the fact that Puerto Rico will be disqualified in the Second Round, Barea finished as the World Cup Top Scorer in the First Round. In five games, he scored 110 points for an average of 22 points per game. Barea's scoring records were well beyond those of Luis Scola, Andray Blatche, Pau Gasol, and Francisco Garca.

Coaching career

Barea was appointed as the head coach of Indios de Mayagüez of the BSN on May 30th.

The Dallas Mavericks recruited Barea as a player development coach on August 15, 2021.

Source