Happy endings for Barbosa
January 18th, 2008, 12:22 am · Post a Comment · posted by jerrybrown
It had been a tough few days for Leandro Barbosa.
He missed eight of 12 shots in Saturday’s win over Milwaukee, then played his worst game of the season in Tuesday’s loss to the Clippers, scoring only nine points in 23 minutes and being victimized time and again on the defensive end. After watching his performance on tape Wednesday, he apologized to the players and coaches and promised a better effort Thursday against the Lakers.
But it also helped Wednesday when he heard the news that tests on the tumor removed from his good friend, Denver forward Nene, revealed it was benign. Barbosa has kept in close contact with his countryman since the problem was discovered last week and said the news gave him a lift that might have played a part in his 8-for-12 shooting, 22-point effort in the 106-98 win over the Lakers Friday.
Suns assistant coach Dan D’Antoni, Barbosa’s close friend and mentor, said Barbosa would never use his own personal anguish as an excuse for his poor play against the Clippers. “I asked him if all the stuff with Nene was bothering him, and he said right away, ‘Coach I have to get above that. I have to be better. But I know better. That’s the kind of person he is.”
After the game, Barbosa talked about good news on and off the floor.
”I’m so happy that it’s not cancer and everything is going to be OK,” Barbosa said. “That’s a scary word, for him and for his friends who care so much for him. It has been very hard for him, we have talked a lot and there has been some hard days. You do not have many close friends, and you want them to be OK. Now he can work on getting better and playing basketball and being happy again.
”He is OK. We won the game. I’m very happy.”
