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JUST IN:Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett is………..

January 16, 2024 Soccerforall24

JUST IN:Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett is………..

RJ Barrett went from sleepy to very alert when he woke up to a phone call from his agent Bill Duffy on Dec. 30. To Barrett’s surprise, the New York Knicks traded him, but the “special” news for the Canadian was being dealt to his hometown Toronto Raptors. “I had no clue. I just got the call when it happened. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ ” Barrett told Andscape recently. “I was so confused. I didn’t see it coming. When he told me the Raptors, I was like, ‘OK, at least I’m coming home.’ ” The homecoming has been outstanding for Raptors so far as they are a 3-1 since the trade and have already had a record performance from Barrett.

Barrett scored a season-high 37 points and added five made 3-pointers duri a 133-118 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in San Francisco. It was the third-highest scoring game of Barrett’s career. His 37 points were also the most scored by a Canadian-born player in Raptors history. Barrett is averaging 21 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in four contests with Toronto. “I’ve felt good since game one, personally, offensively,” Barrett said after the win against the Warriors. “I’ve been feeling like I’ve been playing very well. I didn’t really score the ball in a crazy way the first three games, but I’ve been efficient in trying to play the right way and help my teammates. A lot of learning going on

 

Barrett was born in Toronto on June 14, 2000. He is the son of Canadian basketball legend Rowan Barrett, who played basketball at St. John’s and professionally in Europe. Barrett’s father, a Toronto native, participated in training camp for the Raptors in 1997 and 1999, played on the Canadian national team and currently serves as its general manager. RJ Barrett grew up in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga after his father retired from pro basketball in 2008. As a kid, he became a big fan of several Raptors players as well as the colorful television broadcast team of color analyst Jack Armstrong and play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin. He was inspired by seeing the first Canadian to play in a Raptors uniform, Jamaal Magloire, also of

“I loved going to the locker room and remember coming to the games,” Barrett said. “I loved watching Matty and Jack on TV every night. There are a lot of things. This is home. I liked a young DeMar [DeRozan]. A young DeMar was dunking everything. A young Terrence Ross was good. Sonny Weems played good. I got a lot of memories.”

Barrett left from Canad

a to play secondary school ball at Montverde Foundation (Florida), where he eventually turned into ESPN’s No. 2018’s number one high school boys basketball player After one season at Duke College, the Knicks chose Barrett after Zion Williamson and Ja Morant with the third by and large pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Barrett accepts he had an effect during 4½ seasons with the Knicks, averaging 18.1 focuses and 5.3 bounce back in 297 games and two season finisher appearances.