DALLAS – J.J. Barea stands at 5-10 but carries himself as if he stood as tall as Dirk Nowitzki. The confidence with which he played basketball gave the Dallas Mavericks a chance to win games even when they were undermanned. However, without Nowitzki providing the Puerto Rican legend a window of opportunity, it’s plausible he would have never reached his basketball heights.
While attending the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic on Saturday, Barea talked about what makes Nowitzki “Dirk.”
“He’s simple,” Barea said of Nowitzki. “Always since day one, when I got here when I was trying to make the NBA, he treated me the same way way he treats me right now. Fun, simple, and try to be a good person.”
Barea went undrafted after playing four seasons with Northeastern University. However, following a Summer League stint with the Golden State Warriors, the Mavericks signed him in free agency for the 2006-07 season.
The Puerto Rican native wasn’t a blue chip or a player on many teams’ radar. Nonetheless, his speedy game and his knack for leading the pick-and-roll forced the Mavs hand to play the undrafted guard.