During his first season as a professional in Brazil, while playing with Tilibra/Bauru, he was coached by Jorge "Guerrinha" Guerra. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He was named the São Paulo State Championship's 2001 Rookie of the Year. Barbosa ended the season as the regional competition's fourth-ranked player in three-point field goal percentage, sixth in assists, and eleventh in field goals. In 2002, he won Brazil's top-tier level league, the Brazilian Championship, as a member of Bauru. Barbosa was also selected to the senior Brazilian national team, and he played at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.