No Respect? No Problemo!

HOW MANY POINTS DOES HE NEED TO SCORE TO EARN THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF HIS NAME?

Yes, I meant to have CAPS LOCK enabled for that opening sentence.

Yes, I scream that exact same question at Mark Jackson every single night that he covers a Dallas Mavericks game in the post-season.

No, he hasn't heard me yet.

I am talking about the not-quite 5'10'' Puerto Rican native, Jose Juan Barea.

You may have heard his nickname "the Streakin' Puerto Rican!" But most likely, you've heard him referred to as JJ "Barerra." That is not his name...or a nickname.

I truly believed that after slicing, dicing, and humiliating the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers that people would finally pronounce his last name correctly. For goodness sakes, the Lakers forgot about trying to stop him, they couldn't even slow him down!

He got warmed up in game one of the series with 8 points and 5 assists in just 14 minutes of game time. 

Ron Artest clotheslines JJ Barea in Game 2

Then, in game two, Barea began running circles around the Lakers defenders for an extremely efficient offensive night. He scored 12 points and 4 assists in only 17 minutes. The picture here shows what happened in the seventeenth minute of the game. Ron Artest, winner of this years "Citizenship Award" got so tired of chasing him around that he decided to club the unsuspecting Barea square in the face. What does Barea do? Hits the free throws and then the showers.

In game three, Barea played only 13 minutes. In that little amount of time he added 4 points and 5 assists to the box score. Making him responsible for 14 of his teams points in just 13 minutes of game time.

Andrew Bynum cheap-shot on Barea in Game 4

Lastly, the game four explosion! Andrew Bynum body checks him in mid-air during the game four blowout. Andrew might have got the first shower, but Barea was bathing in glory all week.

Why would Bynum do such a thing? Well maybe it was because Barea was well on his way to a 22 point and 8 assist night in just 28 minutes.

By the way, he outscored every Laker (including Kobe) by at least 5...in a closeout game!

Over the series, he averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 assists with only 17 minutes per game. There's one solid definition of efficiency.

After all that you're still going to call him Barrera?

Look, there is one excuse, and one excuse only, to call him JJ "Barrera."

Antonio Barrera

It is ONLY acceptable if you are comparing him to Antonio Barrera--the Mexican Boxer. The winner of multiple world championships in several different weight classes.

Why is this acceptable? Cause lil' JJ has a heart full of fight and fist-fulls of fury. Even the heavyweights, like Artest and Bynum, can't keep him down.




Now, for those of you who are NOT mispronouncing his name under the one acceptable circumstance, please repeat after me.

BUH-RAY-UH.

Barea.

Now the whole thing, JAY. JAY. BUH-RAY-UH.

That really wasn't hard, was it?

Zuleyka Rivera

And! If his unbelievably efficient pick and roll game isn't earning him proper pronunciation points, what about his girlfriend? You know, Zuleyka Rivera? She's just a former Miss Puerto Rico...and a former Miss Universe!

Clearly, JJ Barea has some serious game both on and off the court.

The little man fears nothing and he takes a beating in the paint like it's his job. Well, I guess it kind of is his job. His other job is taking care of Miss Universe. I'm sure he can do plenty of that now.


You know, now that he and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks are done winning the 2011 NBA Championship.

JJ Barea is a stud. Say it right.