Sports Column

Ex-Beaver star stays with the Spurs

On the NBA

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Apr 4, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

BARRY

Brent Barry could play his first game for San Antonio since Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. Sunday when the Spurs visit the Rose Garden to take on the Trail Blazers.

Or maybe not.

The former Oregon State standout continues with rehab of a calf muscle that has kept him idle for all but 29 games this season.

“I’m real close to playing,” Barry says. “I’ll be making the trip up there for sure, and there might be a chance to get some spot minutes against Portland.”

Barry could have chosen to play elsewhere after his trade to Seattle on Feb. 21 along with Francisco Elson and a future first-round draft pick for power forward Kurt Thomas. The SuperSonics waived Barry the next day, and agent Arn Tellum spoke with a half-dozen teams interested in the 13-year veteran’s services.

Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr met with Barry and his wife, Erin, in San Antonio, “and that would have been an interesting opportunity,” Barry says.

Instead, he chose to re-sign with San Antonio.

“Maybe at a different time and place in my career, I’d have explored other opportunities,” he says. “I talked to a lot of people and was flattered by the amount of attention.

“But the chance to return to San Antonio, to keep my family here, to stay with my teammates and have an opportunity to finish my career here … it just made the most sense.”

Under NBA rules, Barry had to wait 30 days to re-sign.

“I was in basketball purgatory for a while,” he says with a laugh. “I’m very excited to still be with the Spurs. I wish I was able to play right now, but I’m still working to make sure I’m completely healthy. It doesn’t do me or the team any good if I’m not.”

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