Leandro Mateus Barbosa (born November 28, 1982 in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. In Brazil also called Leandrinho Barbosa, or just nicknamed "Leandrinho" (Little Leandro), in USA is "The Brazilian Blur", referring to the fact that he is one of the fastest players in the NBA.[1] Barbosa is married to Brazilian actress Samara Felippo and has one daughter, Alicia.
Pre-NBA career
Barbosa started his career at Palmeiras when he was 17. He played on Paulista (São Paulo's) Championship under the command of Lula Ferreira, the future Brazil national team coach.[citation needed]
At 18, he played on the principal team of Palmeiras on Paulista (São Paulo's) Championship. He averaged 14.2 points per game. After that he was traded to Tilibra/Bauru on January 2001.[citation needed]
During his first season as a professional in Brazil, playing for Tilibra/Copimax, he was coached by Jorge Guerra. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Barbosa ended the season as the fourth ranked player in three point percentage, sixth in assists and eleventh in field goals.[citation needed]
In the 2002–2003 season he averaged 28.2 points per game, second best in the league, 7 assists and 4 rebounds per game.[citation needed]
NBA career
At 6'3" with a 6'10" wingspan, he was selected 28th overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs but his rights were acquired by the Suns in a trade for a future protected first-round pick. Barbosa holds the Suns record for points scored in a game by a rookie as a first-time starter, with 27 against the Chicago Bulls on January 5, 2004.[citation needed] Barbosa is also an accurate three point shooter with a career average of 41.8%. He set the Suns' record for three-point field goals by a rookie in consecutive games when he hit at least one three-pointer per game during a ten-game streak from January 2 to January 19.[citation needed] Barbosa is well known for his great speed on the court.
Barbosa holds career averages of 12.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 25.8 minutes per game while shooting 46.9% field goals, 40.5% from three-point range, and 82.1% from the free throw line.
During the 2006–2007 season, Barbosa averaged 18.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 32.7 minutes per game despite playing off bench.
Barbosa was the recipient of the 2006–07 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.[1]
Barbosa scored a career high of 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 20, 2009.
Career transactions
- Drafted: 2003, 1st round, 28th pick by San Antonio Spurs.
- Draft rights traded by Spurs to Phoenix Suns for conditional 1st-round pick (2005 #30 - David Lee) on June 26, 2003.
- Signed by Suns to three-year, $2.6 million contract with team option worth $1.7 million on July 16, 2003.
- Signed a five-year, $34 million contract extension with the Suns on August 3, 2006.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Year |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
2003–04 |
Phoenix |
70 |
46 |
21.4 |
.447 |
.395 |
.770 |
1.8 |
2.4 |
1.3 |
.1 |
7.9 |
2004–05 |
Phoenix |
63 |
6 |
17.3 |
.475 |
.367 |
.797 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
.5 |
.1 |
7.0 |
2005–06 |
Phoenix |
57 |
11 |
27.9 |
.481 |
.444 |
.755 |
2.6 |
2.8 |
.8 |
.1 |
13.1 |
2006–07 |
Phoenix |
80 |
18 |
32.7 |
.476 |
.434 |
.845 |
2.7 |
4.0 |
1.2 |
.2 |
18.1 |
2007–08 |
Phoenix |
82 |
12 |
29.5 |
.462 |
.389 |
.822 |
2.8 |
2.6 |
.9 |
.2 |
15.6 |
2008–09 |
Phoenix |
70 |
11 |
24.4 |
.482 |
.375 |
.881 |
2.6 |
2.3 |
1.2 |
.1 |
14.2 |
Career |
|
422 |
104 |
25.9 |
.471 |
.404 |
.824 |
2.4 |
2.7 |
1.0 |
.1 |
12.9 |
Playoffs
Year |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
2004–05 |
Phoenix |
12 |
0 |
9.7 |
.343 |
.400 |
.500 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
.2 |
.0 |
2.5 |
2005–06 |
Phoenix |
20 |
3 |
31.6 |
.470 |
.391 |
.862 |
1.6 |
2.7 |
.8 |
.2 |
14.2 |
2006–07 |
Phoenix |
11 |
1 |
31.7 |
.405 |
.305 |
.718 |
3.5 |
2.2 |
1.1 |
.2 |
15.8 |
2007–08 |
Phoenix |
5 |
1 |
28.6 |
.345 |
.222 |
.909 |
4.0 |
1.8 |
.6 |
.0 |
10.4 |
Career |
|
48 |
5 |
25.8 |
.424 |
.340 |
.804 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
.7 |
.1 |
11.2 |
Notes
External links
Persondata |
NAME |
Barbosa, Leandro |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES |
|
SHORT DESCRIPTION |
Professional basketball player |
DATE OF BIRTH |
November 28, 1982 |
PLACE OF BIRTH |
São Paulo, Brazil |
DATE OF DEATH |
|
PLACE OF DEATH |
MARRIED TO= BRITHANY BARBOSA<3 |