SUNS HEAD COACH FRANK JOHNSON: As you saw me last night, I’m very, very excited to get these two young men added to our ball club. They are certainly high on our list. When Bryan acquired the second first-round pick, I wasn’t aware of it. I knew he was working the phones before we got there and then he continued to work the phones after we made our first pick. Then as I came in, he had this big smile on his face, and rightfully so, because we’d gone back and forth about having a backup (point guard) and we’ve acquired one, hopefully for a long time. I’m really excited to have these guys here.
COLANGELO: Why don’t we start by having the players make some opening comments. Let’s start with Zarko.
ZARKO CABARKAPA (through interpreter): First of all, I’m very have to be chosen by Phoenix. This was like my destiny. I visited this club first and I liked it from the first moment. I liked every single one in the organization. I just want to say thank you to believing in me. I’m very happy to be able to play with (Starbury) Marbury, who is to me the best point guard in this league. I’ve very happy to play with (Amaré) Stoudemire, who was the Rookie of the Year last year and of course Shawn Marion, who is an unbelievable athlete. I can’t describe my feelings, how much I’m happy. The draft was very, very difficult for me because I want to be on this club.
LEANDRO BARBOSA (through interpreter): I'm very happy, of course, to be drafted. I want to say thank you to the directors for picking him. This has been a dream of mine. It was the most worried day of my life going through the draft, waiting and waiting, and I was so happy to picked here by the Suns. The Suns are the best team and I look forward to playing for the Suns.
COLANGELO: Frank’s back here shaking his head saying, “I don’t know how I’m going to coach these guys.” We’ll figure it out later.
QUESTION: Zarko, is there a player in the league that you compare yourself to?
CABARKAPA (through interpreter): I’m tall. I like to play outside. I’m very good in transition and it’s unusual for a European that can dunk like me. I look up to the game of Dirk Nowitzki. I believe I can develop that kind of game. I have to put about 10 or 15 pounds of muscle on my body and I can do that.
QUESTION: Leandro, same question.
BARBOSA (through interpreter): It’s a very difficult question to compare myself to the best players in the United States, but I can work very hard and I hope to enter the realm of those stars. But it’s too hard to make that kind of comparison.
QUESTION: Is there a player that you’ve enjoyed watching over the years?
BARBOSA (through interpreter): To tell you the truth I really like Iverson. It’s not that I think I play like Iverson so much because I thinks that Iverson can be selfish. But I think that he has a very beautiful game.
QUESTION: Coming from a country where soccer is so popular, how did you wind up playing basketball?
BARBOSA (through interpreter): I started playing soccer, but my older brother is a big basketball nut and got me into playing basketball at a young age and teaching me things. My brother never had a chance to play basketball, and so my brother gave me every opportunity to play basketball, because it is an elite sport in Brazil. So my brother got me into basketball and I'm thankful that I was able to excel and make it here today.
QUESTION: Bryan, will either player need an interpreter?
COLANGELO: We talked about that a little bit and I don’t know that we have an answer. As of last night, we talked about the possibility of trying to free them of their interpreter, the sooner the better. We feel that they come somewhat dependant on them. Michael Hoyne, who is representing Leandro, represented (Nuggets forward) Nené (Hilario) last year, so there is some clarity that he can provide. I think at some point, it became a little bit of an issue. Maybe (Hilario's interpreter) was around too much, maybe they weren’t totally comfortable with him around all the time and it became a crutch for Nené. But I don’t know enough about that situation. I will tell you that we will try to build some kind of proficiency of the language as soon as possible.
FILIPOVICH: Let me answer this question. First of all, Zarko speaks English. He’s not fluent and does not want his first press conference to answer. He understands every question and especially the coaches on the floor, he doesn’t have a problem. His English is just a matter of time, two, three months to be fluent. I believe when he starts the season he will be able to answer questions on his own.
QUESTION: Frank, can you address the language barrier question as well?
JOHNSON: When we met the first time that Zarko was here and Leandro was here, they understood me very well in terms of me speaking pretty slow. I go back to my time in Italy. I had an interpreter and he was a crutch for me. It didn’t force me to learn the language. Once he was out of the picture it forced me to learn the language. I had to do interviews in Italian. That was the way it worked for me and I think that these guys, like he said, in two, three months, will be fluent.
QUESTION: And how about your staff?
JOHNSON: Well, in fact the reason they’re not here now is that they’re taking Portuguese (laughs).
QUESTION: Leandro, what is your feeling on learning the language and how long do you think you will need an interpreter?
BARBOSA (in English): He’s my teacher. He speaks for me many times. I learn very fast.
QUESTION: Zarko, talk about your workout here and what you thought of the Suns at the time.
CABARKAPA (through interpreter): My first impression was very, very good. I was thinking just to stay here. Obviously I had to do this by the rules and regulations of the NBA. All the coaches, including the head coach and the assistants, Mike D’Antoni, everybody was nice to me and I felt that the understanding of my game that I can help the team and they can help me. This was the reason I fell in love with the team from the first moment.
QUESTION: There was a report that your mother was ill. How is she doing now?
CABARKAPA (through interpreter): We are a very close family and when I heard that I had problems at home it was my mandatory to go and see, because my mother helped me when I started to play basketball in my career. She needed my help and I had to go. Now she’s feeling much better and we hope we’re going to see her here.
QUESTION: What has this all been like for you so far?
CABARKAPA (through interpreter): For two years, I was getting ready for this moment and I’ve played against many of your players and know that I belong to this league. I’m very confident that I’m going to help this team and they’re going to help me. My family always was crucial for me in Yugoslavia. Yugoslavian is very good basketball, very quality basketball. Yugoslavian basketball already produced many NBA players and I believe and support my family, I believe and support Yugoslavia.
QUESTION: Have you talked to any of the Yugoslavian players that made it to the NBA and did they give you any advice?
CABARKAPA (through interpreter): Of course, I've talked to many of those players who played with me on the National Team like (Vlade) Divac and (Peja) Stojakovic. Even the young ones who came last year. Their advice to me is that I have to work very hard and that I have to be ready from day one when I start on the club and I think about that every day.
QUESTION: Leandro, what will it be like to play and learn under a point guard like Stephon Marbury?
BARBOSA (through interpreter): I think it will be a very positive experience and I plan to ask a lot of questions. I hope that I can actually get annoying in asking questions from veterans, trying to learn. I hope that Stephon has some patience because I'm going to ask a lot of questions in trying to take as much knowledge as I can from Stephon.
COLANGELO: If there are no further questions, one final comment in English, please. Give them anything you can.
CABARKAPA (in English): I’m very happy to be here. I know I must press to learn English and speak better.
BARBOSA (in English): I too, I’m very happy. I feel much better. I like the Phoenix Suns and I’ll work very strong, very hard.
