RJ Barrett

At 24 years old, RJ Barrett has this physical status:

Rowan Alexander "RJ" Barrett Jr., (born June 14, 2000) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association in the New York Knicks.

After one year with the Duke Blue Devils, the New York Knicks selected him third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Rowan Barrett, Barrett shone at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, before transferring to Montverde, Florida, where he was born in Toronto as the son of former basketball player Rowan Barrett, Barrett shone.

In his final high school season, he was a five-star recruit and consensus top recruit in the 2018 class, earning Naismith Prep Player of the Year and Gatorade National Player of the Year awards.

All recruiting companies had him ranked him as the best in his class and the first player since LeBron James to sweep all major awards in high school and win the national championship.

After leading his team to a gold medal with the Canadian national under-19 team, Barrett was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

During qualifying for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, he made his debut for the senior team.

Personal life

Rowan Barrett was born in Jamaica and raised in Toronto. Before embarking on a career in Europe and South America, he played basketball for St. John's. Rowan Sr. was a long-serving member of Canada's national team, captained at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and later became executive vice president and general manager of Canada Basketball.

Barrett is the godson of Steve Nash, a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets who competed with his father on the Canadian national team. Rowan Sr. first met Nash, who is about two years his junior, while playing for the under-19 national team and quickly became close friends with him. Nash bought Barrett his first crib when he was a baby.

Kesha Duhaney, Barrett's mother, is a native of Brooklyn, New York. Before working with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, she was a nationally ranked sprinter and long jumper for St. John's University. Barrett's parents met first while attending St. John's. Dahlia Duhaney, his maternal aunt, was a participant of the Jamaica team 4 100 meters relay, which gained a gold medal at the 1991 IAAF World Championships. His grandparents trained for the Jamaica national team, while his uncle played football for the University of Maryland, and his uncle played football for the University of Maryland, both on his mother's side.

Barrett can speak French fluently, although he confessed to being "a little rusty" in 2018. Nathan is older than him and has a brother Nathan. Nathan joined the Montverde Academy prep basketball team after Barrett left high school.

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Early life and career

Barrett was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Kesha Duhaney and Rowan Barrett, a former professional basketball player. He became interested in basketball early in his youth and played with a mini-hoop in his French playroom, where his father was playing professional basketball at the time. Barrett attended a French school while living in France, but his mother taught English by default. He spent time in a variety of countries due to his father's work and shooting around after games and practices. Barrett continued to play basketball with players his age, as well as the clubs he was a member of.

In 2008, his family moved to Mississauga, Ontario, where his father played competitive basketball. While growing up, he was also involved in football, 100 meters sprinting, and the high jump. Barrett, who was struggling in a basketball game and going home crying, began focusing on basketball rather than football to avoid missing tournaments at age 12. He told his father that he wished to be an NBA All-Star and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame at that age. He trained with Steve Nash, his godfather and father's associate.

Barrett, who received his father's tutelage, was one of Ontario's top under-12 players. Despite fighting older opponents, he attended Horizon Jeunesse in Clarkson, Mississauga, leading his school team to the Mississauga French elementary schools, where he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP). Barrett also competed for the Regional Elite Development Academy (REDA) under the guidance of several teams from the United States, facing many teams from the United States. He was named as one of the top players in his age group by the Ontario Basketball Association, and he trained with the Canada Basketball junior academy, where he competed for the Ontario provincial team. Barrett was most likely playing the point guard role by the time 15. In a 93-53 victory over Quebec in an under-15 provincial tournament, he scored 37 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Barrett attended École Secondaire Sans Frontières, a French language school in Brampton, between grades seven and eight.

High school career

Barrett began high school at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga, while not competing for the Brampton Warriors AAU team through the REDA. Despite being in his first year and 27 points for St. Marcellinus against Bill Crothers Secondary School on October 9, 2014, Canadian recruiting website North Pole Hoops has rated him as "unique" despite being in his first year. After scoring 41 points and making the game-winner for REDA in a 74-72 victory over BTB Academy, he was named MVP of the Guy Vetrie Memorial tournament in February 2015. Barrett was invited to the Region of Peel Secondary Schools Athletic Association (ROPSSAA) all-star tournament in April. He was voted the best prospect in the ROPSSAA at the game. Barrett scored a game-high 25 points in the Futures Game at the BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game, which featured top grade 9 and 10 players from around Canada in the same month.

Barrett said he would leave St. Marcellinus in September 2015, just weeks after touring top prep schools in the United States. He moved to Montverde Academy, a school in Montverde, Florida, with a decorated basketball program, later this month. Barrett made the decision to "push his game to a new level," but referred to the change as "rough." In a nationally televised match against Huntington Prep School on December 7, he scored a team-high 18 points. Barrett tallied 31 points on December 21, defeating Chino Hills High School in the City of Palms Classic quarterfinals. He had 22 points and eight rebounds at the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic International Game on April 15, 2016, earning game MVP awards. Barrett was named to the MaxPreps Freshman All-American First Team at the end of the season, after leading Montverde Academy in scoring.

Barrett's sophomore season with Montverde was part of the USA Today High School Sports All-USA Preseason Team. He was named to the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award watch list in November 2016. Barrett led Montverde to a City of Palms Classic title in December, scoring a team-best 15 points in the finals against Memphis East High School and winning tournament MVP awards. In a 73-67 victory over Bishop Montgomery High School on January 16, 2017, he scored 21 points to help his team win the Spalding Hoophall Classic. During NBA All-Star Weekend, Barrett received MVP awards at Basketball Without Borders, a three-day camp during NBA All-Star Weekend. In April, he joined the World Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit in Houston, scoring nine points and two steals in 20 minutes. Barrett was averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds per game in high school, being named National Sophomore of the Year by MaxPreps and making the Naismith All-American Third Team.

Barrett reclassified to the 2018 class on July 31, 2017 because he believed he was "ready to move and to enroll in college a year earlier." He was selected to the USA Today High School Sports All-USA Preseason Team in the 2017-18 season. Barrett led Montverde to the No. 1 spot in his season opener on November 28, 2017. MaxPreps won by 29 points in a 97–55 victory over The Rock School, the nation's best team by MaxPreps. He scored 24 points in a nationally televised match with Orlando Christian Prep on January 11, 2018. Barrett defeated Mater Dei High School in the Spalding Hoophall Classic on January 15, with 22 points and ten rebounds. He appeared in the Signature All-Canadian Showcase on March 23, which featured 24 top Canadian prospects. Barrett later in the month, scoring 26 points in the 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.

Barrett was given the coveted Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year award in March 2018 for "exercising leadership and embodying the values of a student athlete." One of Barrett's ways was to be involved with the Montverde Academy, where he was in charge of coaching young basketball players in their basketball knowledge as well as advising them how to handle their academic careers.

He led Montverde's undefeated team to the Geico National boys' basketball championship in 2017, winning 25 points and 15 rebounds in the championship game.

At the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit, Barrett scored a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds, six assists, and five steals.

Barrett was voted the top Canadian prospect in the 2019 class while attending St. Marcellinus Secondary School. Barrett was rated as a five-star recruiter and ranked No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2018.

According to ESPN, he received scholarship offers from many major universities, including Arizona, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA, and USC. Barrett, who coached Barrett at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 World Cup and the Nike Hoop Summit, was quoted as saying about him at nbadraft.net in April 2017. A potential superstar down the road."

Barrett's top five colleges were limited to five schools on August 16, 2017: Duke, Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky, Kentucky, and Michigan. On November 10, 2017, he revealed that he would be attending Duke for the 2018-2019 season. "It feels like home" when he spoke about his decision. And they have a natural coach... I love Coach K. "I've been watching Duke since I was a kid," says the author.

College career

He scored 33 points and six assists against second-ranked Kentucky in his first regular season game, beating the Duke freshman scoring record in his debut. Barrett was named rookie of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on December 3, 2018. Barrett had his first double-double against Hartford on December 5, with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Barrett received ACC player and freshman of the week awards for the second time on December 10, 2018. Barrett was named as the third ACC freshman of the week on January 28, 2019. In an 81–71 victory over Virginia on February 9, Barrett scored 26 points. In a 94-78 victory over North Carolina State, Barrett had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was the fourth time a player for Duke (second time under Mike Krzyzewski's tenure as head coach) had a triple-double. Barrett was named ACC freshman of the Week for the fourth straight week on February 25, 2019. Barrett, along with his colleague Zion Williamson, was named as a member of both the Sporting News' All-American First Team, ACC All-Freshman squad, and the All-ACC First Team during Duke's regular season. Barrett was named USA Today's Player of the Year in a recent survey.

Barrett led the team in both points and rebounds with 26 points and 14 rebounds in an 85-62 victory over no. 2. In the NCAA Tournament, 16 North Dakota State has been selected. He appeared in a total of 38 games (starting all 38) as a rookie, scoring 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

Following Duke's exit from the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Barrett announced his intention to forego his remaining three seasons of collegiate service and opt for the 2019 NBA draft.

Professional career

Barrett was selected by the New York Knicks with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft on June 20, 2019. Barrett officially signed with the Knicks on July 3. Barrett made his NBA debut on October 23, 2019 by starting with 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Barrett had a career-high 27 points, an assist, and a steal in a 143-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks on December 17, scoring six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. In a game against the Phoenix Suns on January 16, 2020, Barrett was down with a strained ankle. Barrett tied for a career-high 27 points on March 2 by winning a clutch layup before the game was over. In the 125–123 victory over the Houston Rockets, he had five rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Barrett had a career with 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steals in 30.4 minutes in his rookie season. He appeared in 56 games, beginning in 55. Since the early end of the regular season, he was reportedly cut from an NBA All-Rookie Team.

The Knicks reported on December 21, 2020, they exercised their third-year contract on Barrett. In a 119-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors on January 21, Barrett scored a then-high 28 points, as well as five assists and two rebounds. In a 119-97 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Barrett scored a then-high 32 points, as well as five rebounds and three assists. Barrett made strides in his second year, posting 17.6 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Barrett made significant strides in his shooting, shooting 40.1 percent from the three-point line and 74.6 percent from the free throw line, the highest percentage from the three-point line. Barrett appeared in all 72 games during the season, but was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, who was playing 34.9 minutes per game. For the first time in eight years, the Knicks advanced to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, winning home court advantage in the first round. In the first round, the Knicks ultimately lost 4–1.

Barrett finished the night with a tense three-pointer at the buzzer on January 6, 2022, giving the Knicks a 108-105 victory over the Boston Celtics on a night where New York trailed by up to 25 points. He scored 31 points against the San Antonio Spurs on January 10, and against the Dallas Mavericks on January 12. Barrett was 19 points down, setting a franchise record for the youngest Knicks to see at least 30 points in a row at just 21 years old. He made history by becoming the eighth NBA player to reach 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 300 assists by 21 years old, alongside Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Luka Doncic. In a 122–115 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 6, he scored a then career-high 36 points, as well as eight rebounds and five assists. In a 115-100 loss to the Miami Heat on February 25, Barrett scored a career-high 46 points. Before turning 22 years old, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Luka Doncic became the seventh player in NBA history to score 3400+ points, 1100+ rebounds, and 550+ assist's before being the 7th player to reach 3400+ points, 1100+ rebounds, and 550+ assist's. He also became the youngest Knicks player to score 20 points per game for a season at 21 years old.

Barrett re-signed with the Knicks on a four-year, $120 million contract on September 1, 2022. After a rookie contract with the Knicks in 1999, he was the first player to commit to a multi-year contract.

National team career

Barrett was the youngest member of Canada's under-16 national team, which won silver at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Argentina. He led his team in scoring during the tournament and was ranked 14.6 points per game.

At the 2016 FIBA U17 World Cup in Spain, he averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, en route to eurobasket.com's All-World Cup U17 Second Team awards.

As he led Canada's Under-19 squad to a 99–87 semifinal victory over the United States in July 2017, Barrett made news with a 38-point, 13-rebound, and five-assist performance. This appearance was described as Barrett's "most game of his career so far" at the time. He then helped Canada win the championship game against Italy, posting record highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds, and was voted tournament MVP and tournament Most Valuable Player. He was also the tournament's top scorer, scoring 21.6 points per game.

In a 97–62 victory over China, he made his debut on Canada's senior men's national team, scoring 16 points in a 97–62 victory.

Barrett decided to compete with the Canadian senior men's national team on May 24, 2022.

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