Isaac
Years ago
Internationals in the Suns-Spurs series
Spotted a nice story on ESPN about the various international players representing the Spurs and Suns in this series.
Spurs-Suns series highlights NBA's international scope
Parker, Diaw, Barbosa, Elson, Oberto, etc.
The carpet in the Suns' locker room is purple, comfortable and plush, and Leandro Barbosa knows it because he spent his first night in Phoenix sleeping on the floor near his locker.Or the part about Elson:
He'd come from Brazil, where he had no bed, no money and no piles of shoes. So he asked if he could stay there, in part to pinch himself, but also because it was one of the most beautiful places he'd ever seen.
Elson speaks five languages, and often roamed the campus of Kilgore Junior College with a notebook in one hand and a translation book in the other. When Elson speaks with people, he studies their lips and their eyes. He wants to make sure he gets it right.Interesting also to hear about the history between Parker and Diaw - in this series, mortal enemies, but they have a history as friends.
"There are certain words I can't pronounce," he says. "Still can't. Like 'enclave.' The letters, the alphabetical letters, for me are sometimes still hard. I'm thinking, 'Is it Spanish?'"
