Friday, September 18th, 2009...7:14 am
A Few Words on Brent Barry
According to a Fox Houston report, Brent Barry will not play for the Rockets this season. Whether he will be traded, or the Rockets plan to buy out the last season of his contract and let him retire, is unclear. My hunch is that, as a 14 year veteran of the league, Barry may call it quits.
Although my recent kick has been advocating for the jersey retirement of any old Spur who hangs up his laces, I’m not going to do that this time. He was a beloved member of the team, but I never felt his on-court contributions merited that kind of recognition.
That being said, I will always appreciate what he brought to the team, both on and off the floor. His ability to assume the point was sorely missed last season, and a little bit of sharpshooting goes a long way.
But even more so, I appreciated his lighthearted attitude. Even during moments of deep frustration, Barry was able to find a bit of humor. And how many eventual Spurs ever participated in the dunk contest? (Actually, if you watch to the end of the clip, you might notice one other.)
Whether he returns for one last season or decides to retire, we here at 48 Minutes of Hell wish Brent Barry well and thank him for all the hard work he did while in San Antonio.
13 Comments
September 18th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I was at the Slam Dunk contest that Barry won and always thought he’d be a great fit with the Spurs. I was sad to see him go but it was the right move for all parties. No need to retire his number, but a big thanks to Bones for his time with the Spurs and a solid career in the NBA.
September 18th, 2009 at 7:34 am
I agree. A big thank you, but no need to retire his jersey.
On a sidenote, Graydon and Tim, PtR just got an iphone app. When does 48MoH get one?
September 18th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Jordan,
It’s in the works. We’ll keep you updated.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Agreed. Great humor and a tremendous competitor. He always played with fire and wasn’t afraid to show some emotion. And his quick release made it tough for opponents to drift on him.
Although I’m not from San Antonio, he was pretty good in those HEB commercials.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Bones will be on a broadcast somewhere. When he was with the Spurs he hung out with the broadcast team a lot (including in the production truck some times when he was injured) and has the humor and knowledge necessary to be an analyst. I’ve also heard he has ideas for a TV show to pitch to NBA TV.
Hopefully he’ll be a better analyst than his brother.
September 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I felt that the Spurs resigned the wrong aging swingman when they gave 2 more years to Fin. I figure they probably liked his ability to defend more so than Barry’s, which is probably why they chose him. As mentioned in the article, his ability to handle the ball when called upon was sorely missed last season.
And if his TV show rumors are true, let’s hope Shaq doesn’t steal his ideas and end up giving Bones executive producer credits.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I’d watch a show with Barry writing/producing/hosting.
My brother and I would get so frustrated with Barry during his tenure here because he was good for 2 amazing brain farts a game, but also 4 above average positive plays.
I really enjoyed watching him play. His shot was dead-eye. 14 seasons in the league qualifies him as one damn fine player. I wish him to best in whatever he decides to do from here on out.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
What I remember most about him was his ability to play the point in 2005 when Beno went into suckage mode. He also always had great games vs PHX. I remember when we won a game vs them when we were down 15 points in the 4th qtr and Barry made a cold blooded three three feet away from the 3 point line to get the lead and seal the game.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I just want to add one adjective to your sentence about a bit of sharpshooting. Clutch. And that’s what we missed from the wing against the Mavs, clutch sharpshooting. I can remember that Suns game in the 2007 run where Bones kept us in the game long enough for everybody to settle in. As laid back as he was, he had confidence and energy on the floor that lifted his teammates when they weren’t hitting on all cylinders. His contributions were very, very important even if they weren’t always obvious. I wish he could have retired a Spur.
September 20th, 2009 at 12:10 am
He was a perfect fit for this team. High basketball IQ. Not afraid of big games or pressure shots. Great passer. Provided an answer to run and gun teams like Phoenix; if you’re going to be lax on defense or triple team TD, Brent would light you up.
Though the 2006 playoffs didn’t end the way we wanted, his game 2 dagger vs Sac that forced O.T. is one of those memorable moments that so many teams never get to have.
September 21st, 2009 at 5:27 am
Using the following terms, “Slam Dunk Contest” and “San Antonio Spurs,” should only be associated with the following players — George Gervin, Larry Kenon, and Edgar “The Flying Helicopter” Jones. …and honestly, I would happy if only Edgar Jones was associated.
Sorry Bones, you were a CLIPPER
September 29th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
We also briefly had the post-Greece Human Highlight Reel.
October 5th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Barry got the better of the negotiation with Morey.
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