At six foot three inches tall, it may seem ironic that Leandro Barbosa acquired the nickname “Leandrinho” (Little Leandro) while growing up in his native Brazil. But when he arrived in the US and began playing in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns, he got a new nickname: the Brazilian Blur.

Leandro grew up in Sao Paulo, and began playing professionally with the Palmeiras team at age 17. He was traded a year later to Tilibra/Bauru where he played for another two years. His big break came in 2003, when he was chosen 28th overall in the NBA draft.

Though he was originally chosen by the San Antonio Spurs, his rights were acquired by the Suns in a trade. His latest contract with the Suns, signed in August 2006, was for $33 million for five years.  In the 2006-2007 season, he won the award for sixth best man in the NBA. You can see his official stats on the NBA website.

This week, Leandro’s mother passed away and he traveled to Brazil for the funeral. He had already missed several weeks of training to be with her during her illness.