Fast break from Brazil

By Rob Miech

Friday, Aug. 31, 2007 | 10 p.m.

En route to fame and fortune in the NBA, Leandro Barbosa dropped into a Cleveland cemetery.

During a whirlwind of tryouts for NBA clubs in spring 2003, a hip flexor sidelined Barbosa from a few workouts. Older brother Arturo phoned home to Sao Paulo, to their mother, Dona Ivete, for a remedy.

Go to a cemetery, she said. Pray to the souls of the dead for help in overcoming this obstacle.

The hip quickly healed. Then it was on to Detroit, New York, Memphis and Boston.

At the FIBA Americas Championship at the Thomas & Mack Center, where Barbosa led with 22.3 points a game through Wednesday, “Blurbosa” spoke about his practice of occasionally visiting cemeteries in the U.S.

Back home in Brazil, he says, cemeteries are more ornate. There are more crosses, and the grounds are more inviting.

Since his father, Vicente, died two years ago, Barbosa has visited cemeteries in America more frequently to pray for his soul.

His cemetery visits are one reason why Barbosa, 24, is among the most compelling figures in the tournament, in which he has led Brazil (4-3) to tonight's semifinals.

He began life never knowing when he'd eat. At 4, he peddled bananas and carried groceries for the elderly to help put food on the table for his family of 13 in a grimy, industrial section of Sao Paulo.

“I've come a long way,” Barbosa said. “In Sao Paulo, it was a bad, bad, bad neighborhood. It was tough for me. I didn't have a great life when I was a little kid.

“Now, I'm happy. I can help my family and we can have food. Life is great.”

His NBA tryout odyssey culminated in a secret trip to Phoenix meant only to be an interview session. Translator Gregory Dole, however, coaxed Barbosa to run some drills.

Barbosa did so in street shoes and wearing a watch. He knocked out the Suns' brass with his accuracy, and San Antonio selected him for Phoenix with the 28th pick in the 2003 draft.

The 6-foot-3 guard with the 6-10 wingspan and incredible speed has been a perfect match for Suns coach Mike D'Antoni's breakneck system.

Averaging 18.1 points off the bench, Barbosa earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2006-07, the final year of a four-year contract that paid him $4.3 million.

He begins a five-year contract, worth $33 million, this fall. His first deal altered his family's lives. He couldn't even comprehend the new one, which he signed a year ago.

“I can't even understand what it means,” he said. “It's wonderful.”

English was Barbosa's biggest challenge in America. After four years, though, he speaks his second language very well.

“The language was really hard for me, and confidence,” he said. “Now that I have those things, I have to take advantage and get better.”

Like most Brazilian kids, Barbosa booted a soccer ball around with friends. But Arturo, a military drill sergeant, was into basketball. That combination whipped Leandro into hoops shape and speed.

He has scars on his hands from Arturo, who whacked him with a stick if he executed dribbling drills incorrectly.

Leandro, who wears the number 10 typically worn by star soccer players, is one of the fastest players in the NBA.

When he zips down the court in Phoenix at the U.S. Airways Center, they play “Beep! Beep!” from the Roadrunner cartoon over the loudspeakers.

He's in the NBA thanks to Dole. In 2002, a player showed up at Dole's door with a tape to show off his own skills. Dole, though, was more interested in another player he saw on the tape -- Barbosa.

Dole teaches English as a second language in Sao Paulo and scouts basketball players. At a sidewalk cafe, he struck a deal with Arturo and Dona Ivete to promote Leandro in the U.S.

Dole assembled a Barbosa highlight tape that has become the stuff of legend. It persuaded former NBA player Ron Harper and his agent to coordinate a workout regimen for Barbosa in Cleveland.

Dole recently wrote a series of articles for ESPN.com about Barbosa's journey. He's hoping to land a book deal.

“It was all very mysterious,” Dole wrote, “and exciting.”

Barbosa now counts as a confidant Brazilian midfielder Kaka, one of the best soccer players in the world.

When Kaka, who plays for AC Milan, seriously considered an offer from Real Madrid, Barbosa didn't hide his feelings. “Don't go, man,” Barbosa told Kaka. “Don't go. Stay in Milan, because Milan is better.”

OK, Leandro, Kaka said, I'll think about it. He stayed in Milan.

“He probably listened to a couple of other people, too,” Barbosa said, “But I'm happy he stayed in Milan.”

Barbosa is happiest talking about his family, about providing his mother and two sisters with nice homes in secure neighborhoods in Sao Paulo.

“That made my dreams,” he said. “Becoming a player in the NBA gave me a lot of opportunity. My family, for me, is No. 1. Whatever I have to do for my family, I will do.”

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at [email protected].