Sebastian Barea It is still fresh in his memory what the atmosphere was like in the dressing rooms of the Dallas Mavericks when his dad was part of the franchise.
Clearly remember the imposing height of legendary figures like Dirk Nowitzki. Perhaps that was the most impressive thing that impressed him, despite having spent much of his childhood in this environment.
And basketball runs through his veins. His father, José Juan Bareaplayed 14 seasons in the NBA11 of them with the Mavericks, with whom he won the championship in 2011. He is considered one of the best Puerto Rican players in history and, currently, is the assistant of the Nuggets de Denver.
At just 14 years old and in eighth grade at the San José de Río Piedras School, Sebastián still doesn’t know if he will follow in his father’s footsteps or explore another professional career. However, this does not mean that he has not begun to blaze his own path in basketball.
“Sebastián is a child who has impressive motor skills”said Zuleyka Riveramother of Sebastian, First Hour after a game at Colegio San José. “From the age of eight months, Sebastian was already walking and it was impressive for me to see how he even caught the ball when he was two years old.”. He positioned his hands in a professional manner and that impressed me a lot.”
Miss Universe 2006 shared that her son took his steps in basketball with the Tamiami Basketball club in Westchester, Florida. Although he still didn’t know the rules or the perception of time, he immediately showed his talent for scoring the ball just like his dad did back in the day.
“He had the fundamentals and the skills. He began to take it more seriously and polish himself much more. I like that he plays basketball because the sport teaches you a lot of discipline and helps you socialize. Now this has become his passion,” Rivera said.
Sebastián, for his part, said that his father has always advised him to enjoy sports above anything else every time he enters the court, a philosophy that he has followed in recent years both in the United States and in Puerto Rico. Only then will you know if your passion for basketball is the same as the day you threw a ball into a basket for the first time.
“My dad always tells me to enjoy the game.”. If things go wrong, then continue,” Barea’s son commented to this medium.
After living most of his life in Florida, Sebastián moved to the island with his mother last year. One of his wishes was to be one of the members of the San José School youth team and he will compete in his first Top Ranked Buzzer Beater from February 27 to March 29 at the Fernando “Rube” Hernández Coliseum, in Gurabo.
“It’s going to be great to play there. I’ve never played in that tournament, so it will be a new experience for me,” said Sebastián. “He had talked a lot about Buzzer Beater. It’s something that has always caught his attention. He has always wanted to participate in the Buzzer Beater and finally he is going to get it”Zuleyka added.
Martín De León, leader of the San José youth quintet, described Sebastián as a basket player with points in his hands. He has the ability to score from all sides of the court, although he relies more on his shot. However, he continues to adapt to Puerto Rican basketball, while De León works on his transition from shooting guard to point guard, the position in which his father excelled throughout his career.
“He is a player who scores the ball. In Puerto Rico, at this age we are more systematic and that is something he is still getting used to: the game system we use in San José. That is a process that I know will take a little time, but he scores and is a very versatile player. He scores from long and medium distance, and makes good penetrations towards the basket”the coach expressed to this medium.
“He has a lot of skill. Right now we use him as a shooting guard, but we want him to make a transition so he can play as a point guard. Knowing what the defense allows his teammates and him are the readings of the game that we are trying to teach him,” he continued.
