1Parker1
06-28-2005, 09:50 AM
Yeah, that was Brent Barry on the stage at the Alamodome on Saturday night, swaying to the beat with his San Antonio teammates as Tony Parker entertained a crowd of 65,000 with a French rap song.
Which by the way, came about at Barry’s urging.
“Bruce (Bowen) was doing a boring job of emceeing the event,” Barry says of the post-NBA championship celebration that followed a parade along the city’s Riverwalk. “I mean, all those people had been waiting a good three hours for us to enter the building. I thought they would enjoy a little French rapping, which as teammates we all know is something Tony does.
“He has a record label and some artists he is producing, and we always catch him on the team plane in an inspired rap. I figured it was a good time for Tony to have his first and last concert performance.
“We were all laughing and acting like a bunch of high school kids, which is what it’s all about.”
Parker and his teammates should stick to playing basketball, which they do better than anybody. After the Spurs claimed their third NBA crown in seven years in a seven-game duel with Detroit, Barry sought out coach Gregg Popovich for a long hug, validation for the most difficult yet satisfying season of the former Oregon State standout’s 10-year career.
“Brent is a wonderfully giving individual who really does care about the team more than anything else,” Popovich says. “He was a very big part of us winning this title.”
For a while this season, things weren’t so bright. After signing a four-year, $19-million free-agent contract last summer after a solid five-year run with Seattle, Barry teetered under the pressure of what he considered unrealistic expectations.
“Knowing what people were talking about and expecting, it was like, ‘This guy is going to put them over the top,’ ” he says. “They thought I was going to come in and average 25 and 10, which I had never done. I never focused on doing those things. I knew I wasn’t the answer, just a piece to the puzzle.”
The NBA’s No. 2 3-point shooter in 2003-04 at .452 struggled with his shot and his confidence through the early season. Popovich, who had expected the 6-6 Barry to fit into a sixth-man role backing up both Parker and Manu Ginobili, began to give some of Barry’s playing time to rookie Beno Udrih.
“Through most of the season, I never really settled down,” Barry says. “I came to a team where there were guys with established reputations — Tim and Tony and Manu — and Tony and Manu were playing my positions. I deferred a lot, and that’s something that wasn’t good, but it was part of the learning process.”
Barry, 33, slowly began to win back Popovich’s confidence, starting eight games near the end of the regular season, using his savvy court sense, shooting and ballhandling skills to advantage.
A call to a veteran
Before Game 7 of the Finals, Barry called TNT’s Steve Kerr, the one-time Trail Blazer who helped win four NBA titles in Chicago and San Antonio.
“Steve’s always been one of my favorite people,” Barry says. “I liken myself to him as a player at this point in my career — a guy who can always come in and contribute.
“I got home from shootaround, was sitting around the house with my wife and son gone. It was real quiet. I decided to give Steve a call, to get some advice from him to help settle me down. Anyone who says they’re not nervous at a time like that is lying to you.
“He said, ‘My first eight years in the league, I ran around and hid in the corner and made the safe pass and wasn’t myself on the court. Later in my career, I was able to loosen up and play more aggressive and just have more fun. That’s what you need to do.’ As soon as he said that, it was like a huge weight off me.”
Strong defense adds up
Barry came off the bench to provide 29 important minutes in the Spurs’ clinching win, hitting two of three shots — including his only 3 — and contributing five points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. In the final three games of the series, Popovich cut his rotation to seven players, with only Barry and Robert Horry getting significant reserve duty.
“Brent was huge in getting the ball upcourt against some pretty big pressure,” Popovich says. “In the playoffs and especially in the Finals, he had some games where he played some wonderful defense, which is our priority. And he was more aggressive offensively at times, which is something we needed.”
When it was over, Barry was an NBA champion, a feeling he says is “indescribable.”
His father, NBA Hall-of-Famer Rick Barry, was on hand for Game 7. The Barrys become the second father-son combination to earn championships. Matt Guokas Sr. (Philadelphia Warriors, 1947) and Matt Guokas Jr. (Philadelphia 76ers, 1967) were the first.
“That’s pretty cool — something for the record books,” Brent says.
Barry almost went Blazer
It almost didn’t happen. Barry says last July, he was “literally two hours” from committing to a four-year, $23 million contract with Portland. GM John Nash and then-coach Maurice Cheeks traveled to his home in Hermosa Beach, Calif., to romance him, and he spoke with Damon Stoudamire on the phone.
“It was attractive to me, to get to play in Portland for a franchise that was looking to bring in players to improve itself,” Barry says. “I thought it was a good fit, and I was very comfortable with John and (President) Steve Patterson.”
Then came the last-minute offer from San Antonio.
“There was a significant enough (financial) difference that it made you think,” Barry says. “I made the decision that the opportunity to win a title was most important. It was tough for me to call John Nash.”
Popovich predicts better times are ahead for Barry.
“Brent’s season was a lot like Robert Horry’s first in San Antonio (2003-04),” the San Antonio coach says. “Robert felt unfamiliar, that he didn’t have the license to try this and that, to screw up here and there. Then he came back and had a fantastic second season.
“We look for Brent to come out next year like Robert and say, ‘I’m here to play. I’m part of the team, and I’m going to play with abandon.’ ”
http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=30495
Which by the way, came about at Barry’s urging.
“Bruce (Bowen) was doing a boring job of emceeing the event,” Barry says of the post-NBA championship celebration that followed a parade along the city’s Riverwalk. “I mean, all those people had been waiting a good three hours for us to enter the building. I thought they would enjoy a little French rapping, which as teammates we all know is something Tony does.
“He has a record label and some artists he is producing, and we always catch him on the team plane in an inspired rap. I figured it was a good time for Tony to have his first and last concert performance.
“We were all laughing and acting like a bunch of high school kids, which is what it’s all about.”
Parker and his teammates should stick to playing basketball, which they do better than anybody. After the Spurs claimed their third NBA crown in seven years in a seven-game duel with Detroit, Barry sought out coach Gregg Popovich for a long hug, validation for the most difficult yet satisfying season of the former Oregon State standout’s 10-year career.
“Brent is a wonderfully giving individual who really does care about the team more than anything else,” Popovich says. “He was a very big part of us winning this title.”
For a while this season, things weren’t so bright. After signing a four-year, $19-million free-agent contract last summer after a solid five-year run with Seattle, Barry teetered under the pressure of what he considered unrealistic expectations.
“Knowing what people were talking about and expecting, it was like, ‘This guy is going to put them over the top,’ ” he says. “They thought I was going to come in and average 25 and 10, which I had never done. I never focused on doing those things. I knew I wasn’t the answer, just a piece to the puzzle.”
The NBA’s No. 2 3-point shooter in 2003-04 at .452 struggled with his shot and his confidence through the early season. Popovich, who had expected the 6-6 Barry to fit into a sixth-man role backing up both Parker and Manu Ginobili, began to give some of Barry’s playing time to rookie Beno Udrih.
“Through most of the season, I never really settled down,” Barry says. “I came to a team where there were guys with established reputations — Tim and Tony and Manu — and Tony and Manu were playing my positions. I deferred a lot, and that’s something that wasn’t good, but it was part of the learning process.”
Barry, 33, slowly began to win back Popovich’s confidence, starting eight games near the end of the regular season, using his savvy court sense, shooting and ballhandling skills to advantage.
A call to a veteran
Before Game 7 of the Finals, Barry called TNT’s Steve Kerr, the one-time Trail Blazer who helped win four NBA titles in Chicago and San Antonio.
“Steve’s always been one of my favorite people,” Barry says. “I liken myself to him as a player at this point in my career — a guy who can always come in and contribute.
“I got home from shootaround, was sitting around the house with my wife and son gone. It was real quiet. I decided to give Steve a call, to get some advice from him to help settle me down. Anyone who says they’re not nervous at a time like that is lying to you.
“He said, ‘My first eight years in the league, I ran around and hid in the corner and made the safe pass and wasn’t myself on the court. Later in my career, I was able to loosen up and play more aggressive and just have more fun. That’s what you need to do.’ As soon as he said that, it was like a huge weight off me.”
Strong defense adds up
Barry came off the bench to provide 29 important minutes in the Spurs’ clinching win, hitting two of three shots — including his only 3 — and contributing five points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. In the final three games of the series, Popovich cut his rotation to seven players, with only Barry and Robert Horry getting significant reserve duty.
“Brent was huge in getting the ball upcourt against some pretty big pressure,” Popovich says. “In the playoffs and especially in the Finals, he had some games where he played some wonderful defense, which is our priority. And he was more aggressive offensively at times, which is something we needed.”
When it was over, Barry was an NBA champion, a feeling he says is “indescribable.”
His father, NBA Hall-of-Famer Rick Barry, was on hand for Game 7. The Barrys become the second father-son combination to earn championships. Matt Guokas Sr. (Philadelphia Warriors, 1947) and Matt Guokas Jr. (Philadelphia 76ers, 1967) were the first.
“That’s pretty cool — something for the record books,” Brent says.
Barry almost went Blazer
It almost didn’t happen. Barry says last July, he was “literally two hours” from committing to a four-year, $23 million contract with Portland. GM John Nash and then-coach Maurice Cheeks traveled to his home in Hermosa Beach, Calif., to romance him, and he spoke with Damon Stoudamire on the phone.
“It was attractive to me, to get to play in Portland for a franchise that was looking to bring in players to improve itself,” Barry says. “I thought it was a good fit, and I was very comfortable with John and (President) Steve Patterson.”
Then came the last-minute offer from San Antonio.
“There was a significant enough (financial) difference that it made you think,” Barry says. “I made the decision that the opportunity to win a title was most important. It was tough for me to call John Nash.”
Popovich predicts better times are ahead for Barry.
“Brent’s season was a lot like Robert Horry’s first in San Antonio (2003-04),” the San Antonio coach says. “Robert felt unfamiliar, that he didn’t have the license to try this and that, to screw up here and there. Then he came back and had a fantastic second season.
“We look for Brent to come out next year like Robert and say, ‘I’m here to play. I’m part of the team, and I’m going to play with abandon.’ ”
http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=30495