JJ Barea will create a sports complex in Puerto Rico

Former NBA player, JJ Bareawill be one of the pillars in the development of a multi-sports complex in his native Puerto Rico.

Barea, who played 14 seasons in the NBA defending the colors of the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, joins forces with businessman Ricky Newman, according to the newspaper El Vocero.

The cost of the complex will be approximately $7 million, financed by the Popular Bank of Puerto Rico, it will be located in the town of Hato Rey and will take advantage of the facilities of the Nuestra Señora de la Merced Catholic school.

“This is a dream that is coming true. This is to bring people from the United States. I would like to bring the teams from all sports, who come and can use this so they don’t have to change courts. This is very important “, JJ Barea commented to the media.

It transpired that the project will be carried out between the companies PRSC LLC, led by Newman, and Sportlange LLC, from Barea.

According to the publication, Barea hopes that at some point the Mavericks, a team with which he played for 11 years, can hold their preseason at the facilities.

“This is for all categories. I always wanted to have a place where I could go to train. I have been traveling in the United States for 20 years and I have seen this type of facility. I have a lot of experience of what it entails. I know how difficult it is to manage and achieve it. But there is an immense lack in Puerto Rico, especially for children,” added the organizing point guard who has not officially retired from high-performance sports.

The complex will be called JUMP Sports Development Center.

According to the report by El Vocero, the first phase of construction will start as early as February, extending until the fall of 2022. The complex will have basketball, volleyball, volleyball and beach tennis courts, training and rehabilitation rooms, football, clothing and sports equipment stores and a restaurant.

“The project will take seven to eight months to develop because they are existing buildings. They have to be rehabilitated with a necessary investment to meet the technology that now involves sports and the training of professional and non-professional athletes,” said Newman, who is manager overview of the Hotel Verdanza, in Isla Verde.