Bad Bunny namedrops Mavericks legend during Super Bowl performance originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Many fans were bopping and dancing to the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show which was headlined by Bad Bunny. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin would eventually join in on the performance too. However, some members of the Dallas Mavericks faithful were quick to point out that a certain 2011 NBA champion who went up against LeBron James was shouted out by the Puerto Rican global sensation — J.J. Barea.

Barea gets some Puerto Rican recognition

“Y de Barea, el que fue campeón primero que Lebron,” were the words that Bad Bunny exclaimed during the Super Bowl performance. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment of one Puerto Rican showing love to another translates to, “And Barea, the one who became champion before LeBron.”

Barea was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and represented the values of his country well which is why he got the massive shout out. His family moved to Miami where he played in high school. He would then play for the Northeastern Huskies during his college years but went undrafted in the 2006 NBA Draft. However, the Mavericks took a chance on him and it would pay off.

Notably, it was also with the Mavericks that Barea ended up beating James. He along with legends Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry among others made an underdog run for Larry O’Brien trophy back in 2011. They were coached by Rick Carlisle and finished as the third seed in the Western Conference.

Prior to going up against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, the Mavericks started their postseason campaign by winning over the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. In the second round, they ended up sweeping the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. The legendary trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook then awaited the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Barea helped Dallas beat that insanely stacked Oklahoma City Thunder squad in five games.

In the NBA Finals, Barea played 21.3 minutes per games to give the Mavericks averages of 8.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.2 rebounds. All of these added up to the Mavericks sending the Heat home in six games. After that championship run, the Puerto Rican had a brief three-year stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves but he found his way back to the Mavericks in 2014. He would then play for the Mavericks up until 2020 before hopping to different teams overseas.

As of the moment, his playing days are behind him. Barea is now an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets under Rick Adelman, who was also a member of Carlisle’s staff during their 2011 run.

Bad Bunny surely knows his legends.

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