<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">NEW YORK, April 23, 2007 ? Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns has been named the winner of the 2006-07 NBA Sixth Man Award, honoring the league?s top player in a reserve role, the NBA announced today. Barbosa received 578 out of a possible 635 points, including 101 of a possible 127 first-place votes, from a panel of 127 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs finished second with 269 points and Jerry Stackhouse of the Dallas Mavericks placed third with 210 points. Each player was awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote. In order to be eligible for this award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started.</div> Link It's almost unfair that he's with the Suns, because he would be a starter on mostly every other team. That kid's great though, and he definitely deserves it. Congrats to him, and Manu Ginobili for finishing 2nd and Stackhouse in 3rd.
Congrats to Leandro Barbosa. The guy definetly deserves this award and has been playing out of his mind lately
<div class="quote_poster">Will637 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Link It's almost unfair that he's with the Suns, because he would be a starter on mostly every other team. That kid's great though, and he definitely deserves it. Congrats to him, and Manu Ginobili for finishing 2nd and Stackhouse in 3rd.</div> did he just sign an extension, o he obviously likes it there
when nash retires barbosa is going to fill in nashes spot thats why he stayed, he knows hes going to eventually lead a very good team with him amare and marion. makes sence to me. plus you continue to learn from nash.
^If that`s true, what a genius move by the Suns. Congrats to Barbosa on the award, it was almost a no brainer.
I am happy the suns stuck with Leandro, many fans wanted to package him in a trade and thought he was all speed and no control. Thank you D'Antoni for taking him under your wing. Finally congrats to Barbosa, this is well deserved for one of the "nice guys" in the league.
From the ESPN article covering Barbosa's win: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"Give him a soccer ball," the Lakers' Kobe Bryant said when asked what could be done to stop Barbosa. "Tell him Brazilians should be playing soccer, not basketball."</div> Source Maybe I just hate Kobe that much, but I found that racist, ignorant, and offensive. Next thing he's gonna start talking Spanish to Barbosa.
<div class="quote_poster">Downtown Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">From the ESPN article covering Barbosa's win: Source Maybe I just hate Kobe that much, but I found that racist, ignorant, and offensive. Next thing he's gonna start talking Spanish to Barbosa.</div> Kobe really said that? Wow I like Kobe and all, but he really does come off as being ignorant at times
<div class="quote_poster">Downtown Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">From the ESPN article covering Barbosa's win: Source Maybe I just hate Kobe that much, but I found that racist, ignorant, and offensive. Next thing he's gonna start talking Spanish to Barbosa.</div> How was that racist? What does soccer have to do with race? and they speak portugees in brazil not spanish.
Well, to be honest with you, I bet Kobe was just responding to the comments the Suns made in their "book"
<div class="quote_poster">michiganave17 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">How was that racist? What does soccer have to do with race? and they speak portugees in brazil not spanish.</div> Downtown knows they speak Portuguese in Brazil, thus the comment about Kobe speaking Spanish to a Brazilian (being ignorant and thinking all South America must speak Spanish). It's racist because he is disparaging a whole culture by saying they can only play soccer, they're no good at basketball. You could even infer that Kobe is saying Brazil is a third world country if you really wanted to read into it. I don't think Kobe meant anything by it, I'm pretty sure it was in jest and was actually meant to be complimentary (Barbosa is so hard to stop you'd have to make him play another sport) -- but I completely understand anybody who took it as racist, especially from just reading it (tone and mannerisms are important in comments like this). <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, to be honest with you, I bet Kobe was just responding to the comments the Suns made in their "book"</div> Barbosa never made any comments, Coach D'Antoni did, and he claims they were made behind closed doors and it was just boys being boys, even former NBA players-turned-announcers agreed what was said was nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to locker room talk. D'Antoni has since said of course he and the Suns have respect for everybody in their profession, including the Lakers and Kobe (even calling him the best player on the planet, which he is). BACK TO BARBOSA: Since Gordon moved to the starting lineup this was a 1-man race, pretty obvious for some time, but it's great to see somebody like Barbosa get recognition, he really has worked very hard on his game. As for him starting for any other NBA team, I don't think he's much of a starting point guard to be honest, he's great coming off the bench playing a combo-guard, but his speed and shooting are what makes him such a great scorer, he still needs somebody like Nash to get him the ball. He is great at taking people off the dribble and just flying by them to the basket, but that's not what I'd want for my starting PG. So he's either got to continue to learn and grow to become Nash's successor, or the Suns are going to have to draft/sign a true PG. Barbosa resigned with Phoenix last summer, his contract is a steal.
<div class="quote_poster">Downtown Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">From the ESPN article covering Barbosa's win: Source Maybe I just hate Kobe that much, but I found that racist, ignorant, and offensive. Next thing he's gonna start talking Spanish to Barbosa.</div> I don't exactly see it as racist or offensive. Maybe it's because I don't hate Kobe, but I think he was just saying those things as a compliment, I don't think he would be that stupid to make offensive comments, especially cause he wants to be known as a good guy and not a dirty one.
<div class="quote_poster">scorbutic Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Downtown knows they speak Portuguese in Brazil, thus the comment about Kobe speaking Spanish to a Brazilian (being ignorant and thinking all South America must speak Spanish). It's racist because he is disparaging a whole culture by saying they can only play soccer, they're no good at basketball. You could even infer that Kobe is saying Brazil is a third world country if you really wanted to read into it. I don't think Kobe meant anything by it, I'm pretty sure it was in jest and was actually meant to be complimentary (Barbosa is so hard to stop you'd have to make him play another sport) -- but I completely understand anybody who took it as racist, especially from just reading it (tone and mannerisms are important in comments like this). </div> I completely agree. I don't really think Kobe is this stupid, if you read the article, I think it was inferring that Kobe was speaking in a joking manner: "Barbosa more than lived up to his nickname of the "Brazilian Blur." Bryant smiled when asked the best way to defend him. Give him a soccer ball. Tell him Brazilians should be playing soccer, not basketball," he said. "Somebody dropped the ball there when he was growing up." Link He also had a lot of praise for Leandro Barbosa: "That one time he just ran by Smush Parker, and Smush had like a five-foot cushion on him. I'm standing in the corner with Raja Bell. I look up and he's at half court and Smush is back-pedaling by the three-point line. I turn back around and this kid's at the basket. I was like, 'What the hell?" ... You need like a 10-foot cushion with this guy. You just have to be smart about the angles you take. The kid is fast as (expletive.) That's the best way I can say it." Link Again, I don't think Kobe meant any harm with his comments. He just needs to choose his words a bit wiser, because some people may take offense to these statements
Congrats to Barbosa. He's a future star, IMO. And on the soccer joke, I think that was just another failed attempt to be funny by Kobe. He tried the same thing in last year's playoff series with Raja Bell.
<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post"> And on the soccer joke, I think that was just another failed attempt to be funny by Kobe. He tried the same thing in last year's playoff series with Raja Bell.</div> Kobe Bryant just isn't a funny man I guess He should just stick to his day job
