JJ Barea is a fan favorite and cult icon who retains legendary status with the Dallas Mavericks.
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The Puerto Rican was one of the star role players during the Mavericks‘ legendary championship run in 2011. JJ Barea spent over 10 seasons with the Mavericks across his two spells with the team.
Barea averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 assists in less than 20 minutes during the 2011 Playoffs. He also gained popularity for his pesky defense and hustle.
While Barea never averaged more than 25 minutes per game ever in his career, he cemented himself as an extremely valuable member of the Mavericks organization.
JJ Barea’s skill and finesse helped him overcome his lack of size. Standing at only 5’10, Barea remains one of the shortest players to play multiple seasons in the NBA.
Barea was nicknamed “Baby Daddy” by the Mavs faithful. And he did father an NBA superstar during their championship run.
Who? None other than LeBron James.
How did JJ Barea best LeBron James?
With his pesky defense, Barea was ironically one of the biggest pests bugging the Miami Heat star. JJ Barea was part of the reason LeBron’s offensive mojo flamed out and led to the Heatles losing their first NBA Finals together.
Netizens have found a two-minute highlight reel of just Barea being a pest to LeBron James during the NBA Finals. The video displays the absolute David v. Goliath matchup that went on between the two during the series.
The Puerto Rican more than held his own and made life hell for LeBron James. His display in the clips might remind younger NBA fans of another tiny Puerto Rican guard who troubled a Hall of Famer recently: Jose Alvarado.
Barea was Alvarado before Alvarado. His displays justified his fan favorite status in Dallas. He was every bit important to Dirk Nowitzki‘s legacy-defining Championship for the Mavericks.
Baby Daddy shall forever be a part of NBA lore. His performances in the 2011 NBA Finals shall forever be immortalized as a tale of heart prevailing over anything else.
