The Dallas Mavericks have had many great, legendary icons on their roster over the years.
But few have received as much love from the fans as J.J. Barea.
Sadly, Barea’s time in the NBA has come to an end after many years of giving the Mavs someone to really cheer for and love.
Undrafted. NBA Champion.
Congratulations on an amazing career, @jjbareapr. We could not be more proud 💙🤍 #MFFL pic.twitter.com/xQwLCbQq1N
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) July 21, 2022
Barea, who has been in the league since 2006 and with the Mavs for 11 seasons, announced that he was retiring from the game he loves so much.
His retirement was announced on social media with messages of goodwill and congratulations from other players and his countrymen.
What’s next for this Puerto Rican sharpshooter?
All Hail J.J.
Barea was never the biggest man on the court at just 5-feet-10 inches tall.
But he made up for his lack of height with a fierce play style that had him going up against guys much larger and stronger than him.
He was never afraid of a fight and was scrappy and driven all the time, no matter who he was going up against.
Throughout his career, he averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
He was part of the championship 2011 Mavs team that went all the way and rocked the entire NBA world.
Since then, he spent some time playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves before coming back home to Dallas.
He has played less and less lately and only participated in 29 games during the 2019-20 season.
Barea hasn’t played since so his retirement is not a surprise but it still is sad to see him go.
But he might not be leaving the Mavericks altogether: there is talk that he could come back to the team as a member of the coaching staff.
That would definitely give a huge boost to this promising team.
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