It hadn’t happened. When formalizing his retirement, JJ Barea showed his willingness to explore the world of coaching. Preferably within his almost always club, in Dallas, where he played from 2006 to 2011, before a second term from 2014 to 2020 (interspersed with several seasons in Minnesota).
The former Puerto Rican leader had finally withdrawn since to a post of “general manager” within a professional team (Humacao) of his native country. But the 2011 NBA champion, alongside Dirk Nowitzki, says it again today: he wants to coach. And still not anywhere.
” Anyone who knows me knows that my first option will always be the Mavs. I would love to be with the Mavs. But if that doesn’t work, I have to look for another option and see what I can do. », positions the former player undrafted who had worked with the Texas franchise in 2021 in player “development”.
Barea says he now has a dedicated agent for this potential career. A rep and already past conversations with the Mavs about it. ” They know I’m interested in the coaching job, and now the whole NBA knows it, so I started talking about it. I am learning things and studying training methods. When the chance comes, I’ll be ready to go “, assures the native of Mayaguez who had the opportunity to coach the team of his 11-year-old son.
” I am preparing, now when I watch the matches, I watch it as if I were a coach. I also coached in the Puerto Rico professional league during the summer of 2017. That’s when I knew I loved coaching, that I was good at it and that I wanted to do it after I retired. “, Ends the pensioner based, since his departure from the parquet floors, in Miami. But who is just waiting for a phone call to return to Texas.