Leandro Barbosa

Early career

Barbosa started his career with Palmeiras at age 17, playing in the regional São Paulo State Championship under coach Lula Ferreira, who later became the senior Brazilian national team's head coach. At 19, while with Palmeiras, he averaged 14.2 points per game in that regional championship. He was traded to the Brazilian club Bauru in January 2001. In his first professional season with Tilibra/Bauru, coached by Jorge "Guerrinha" Guerra, Barbosa averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

He was named the São Paulo State Championship's 2001 Rookie of the Year and finished the season ranked fourth in three-point field goal percentage, sixth in assists, and 11th in field goals in the regional competition. In 2002, Barbosa won Brazil's top-tier league, the Brazilian Championship, as a member of Bauru. He was also selected to the senior Brazilian national team and played at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

Professional career

Barbosa was selected 28th overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, but his rights were acquired by the Phoenix Suns in a trade for a future protected first-round pick. He set the Suns franchise record for points scored by a rookie as a first-time starter with 27 against the Chicago Bulls on January 5, 2004, and set the Suns' record for three-point field goals by a rookie in consecutive games with a 10-game streak from January 2 to 19.

During the 2006–07 season, Barbosa averaged 18.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 32.7 minutes per game off the bench, earning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He scored a career-high 41 points in a 140–118 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 20, 2009, adding seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals. On July 14, 2010, Barbosa was traded to the Toronto Raptors. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he signed with Flamengo Basketball of Brazil with an out-clause to return to the NBA; he rejoined the Raptors after the lockout ended.

Boston Celtics (2012–2013)

On March 15, 2012, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers, helping them reach the second round of the playoffs. He signed with the Boston Celtics on October 18, 2012, but tore his ACL on February 11, 2013, ending his season; he was the third Celtic with a season-ending injury in three weeks. On February 21, 2013, Barbosa and Jason Collins were traded to the Washington Wizards, but he never played for them. He signed with Esporte Clube Pinheiros of Brazil for the 2013–14 season, averaging over 20 points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Return to Phoenix (2014)

In January 2014, he returned to the NBA, signing a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns on January 8. He scored 21 points against the New York Knicks on January 13, his first 20+ point game since 2012, but suffered a right shoulder strain. After a second 10-day contract, the Suns signed him for the rest of the season on January 28. On March 4, he fractured his right hand and missed the rest of the season.

Golden State Warriors (2014–2016)

On September 10, 2014, Barbosa signed with the Golden State Warriors. He scored a season-high 17 points on December 30 in a 126–86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He won his first NBA championship with the Warriors after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals in six games. He re-signed with the Warriors on July 13, 2015, and helped them win an NBA record 73 games in 2015–16.

Third stint with Phoenix (2016–2017)

In Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals, he returned from a minor back injury to score 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in a 104–89 victory, though the Warriors lost the series in seven games. On July 19, 2016, Barbosa signed a multi-year deal with the Phoenix Suns for a third stint. On December 9, he scored a season-high 21 points with five three-pointers in a 119–115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 28, he played his 517th game with the Suns, moving past Amar'e Stoudemire to 10th on the Suns' all-time games played list.

On March 3, 2017, he made his 544th appearance in a Suns jersey, passing Mark West for ninth all-time, and his 14 points pushed him past Connie Hawkins for 14th in all-time scoring with Phoenix. His final NBA game was on March 24, 2017, a 120–130 loss to the Boston Celtics, where he recorded 11 points, five rebounds, and a steal. He was waived by the Suns on July 3, 2017. On November 17, 2017, Barbosa returned to Brazil and signed with Franca.

On December 13, 2018, he signed with Minas. In the 2019–20 season, he was the league's leading scorer at 20.1 points per game before the season shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Barbosa and his then-pregnant wife contracted the virus, but both recovered. He announced his retirement on September 14, 2020.

On that same day, the Golden State Warriors announced he would return as a player mentor coach, and he won his second NBA championship with the Warriors in 2022. On August 12, 2022, he was hired by the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach.