Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban loaned J.J. Barea the team plane to fly hurricane relief supplies to Puerto Rico.
ESPN’s Tim McMahon was the one who reported Mark Cuban’s remarkably generous act of lending J.J. Barea the Dallas Mavericks plane. He also added that Barea would be returning home Tuesday night with his mother and grandmother.
The 33-year-old point guard was born in Mayaguez and has represented Puerto Rico in a variety of international events like the FIBA Americas Championship, Pan American Games and Centrobasket Tournament, where he’s helped win three gold medals.
Hurricane Maria devasted his homeland. Barea wasn’t able to contact his family until Sunday. “They’re OK,” he said to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. “But it’s still rough there.” Not much help has been sent to Puerto Rico, even though Governor Ricardo Rosselló has said they’re facing a “humanitarian crisis,” as reported by Chandrika Narayan of CNN.
Barea — before leaving to rescue his family — set up a YouCaring fundraising that has raised more than $90,000.
Barea’s entering his 12th NBA season this year. With Dallas in 2016-17, he averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 assists in 22.0 minutes a night, but only suited up for 35 games.
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