Sebastián Barea vividly remembers the atmosphere inside the Dallas Mavericks locker room during his father’s time with the franchise.
The son of NBA champion José Juan Barea recalls being struck by the sheer size of legendary players like Dirk Nowitzki, an impression that has stayed with him from his childhood spent around the team. Basketball is clearly in his blood.
His father, José Juan Barea, enjoyed a 14-season NBA career, including 11 years with the Mavericks where he won a championship in 2011. Widely considered one of the greatest Puerto Rican players of all time, he currently serves as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets.
Now, at 14 years ancient and in the eighth grade at San José School in Río Piedras, Sebastián is beginning to forge his own path in the sport. While his future remains open, his dedication to basketball is undeniable.
“Sebastián is a child with impressive motor skills,” said Zuleyka Rivera, Sebastián’s mother, after a recent game. “He was walking at eight months old and it was amazing to see him even grabbing the ball at two years old. He positioned his hands professionally, which impressed me a lot.”
Rivera also shared that Sebastián first honed his skills with the Tamiami Basketball club in Westchester, Florida. Even without fully understanding the rules, he immediately demonstrated a talent for scoring, mirroring his father’s ability.
“He had the fundamentals and the skills. He started taking it more seriously and polishing himself a lot more. I like that he plays basketball since the sport teaches you a lot of discipline and helps you socialize. Now this has become his passion,” Rivera added.
Sebastián, for his part, said his father always advises him to enjoy the game above all else when he steps onto the court, a philosophy he has followed in recent years both in the United States and Puerto Rico. He’s now looking to make his mark in the Top Ranked Buzzer Beater tournament, a showcase of Puerto Rican youth basketball talent.
“My dad always tells me to enjoy the game. If things don’t go well, just keep going,” Barea’s son said.
After spending much of his life in Florida, Sebastián moved to the island with his mother last year. He quickly set his sights on joining the San José School youth team and will compete in his first Top Ranked Buzzer Beater tournament, running from February 27 to March 29 at the Fernando “Rube” Hernández Coliseum in Gurabo.
“I’m really excited to play there. I’ve never played in this tournament, so it will be a new experience for me,” Sebastián said. “He’s talked about Buzzer Beater a lot. It’s something that has always caught his attention. He’s always wanted to participate in Buzzer Beater and it’s finally going to happen,” Zuleyka added.
Martín De León, head coach of San José’s youth team, described Sebastián as a scorer with a knack for putting the ball in the basket. He has the ability to score from all over the court, though he relies more on his jump 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 where his father excelled throughout his career.
“He’s a player who scores the ball. In Puerto Rico, at this age, we are more systematic and that’s something he’s still getting used to: the system of play we use at San José. That’s a process that I know will seize him some time, but he scores and is a very versatile player. He shoots well from long and mid-range, and makes good drives to the basket,” the coach told reporters.
“He has a lot of skill. Right now we’re using him as a shooting guard, but we want him to make a transition so he can play as a point guard. Learning what the defense allows his teammates and himself to do are the reads of the game that we are trying to teach him,” he continued.
