Brazil on NBA's exhibition radar

The words uttered by NBA commissioner David Stern were music to Leandro Barbosa’s ears, a declaration that resonated in the shooting guard’s native land.

Under Stern’s watch, the NBA game has gone global, a reach that will involve a first this season when the Raptors and New Jersey Nets play a regular-season game in London.

But what has Barbosa excited is the prospect of the league staging exhibition games in Brazil.

“It will be a huge success,’’ the Brazilian Blur said. “The economy in Brazil is strong and getting stronger. There is a lot of interest in basketball and there are many leagues.”