Rowan Alexander “R. J.” Barrett Jr; was born June 14, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a Canadian professional basketball player who played for the Duke Blue Devils at the student level. Selected 3rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
Personal
Barrett’s father, Rowan, played basketball at St. John’s University in New York State from 1992 to 1996 and later as a professional in Israel, Argentina, Spain, France, Venezuela, and Greece. In 2000, he took part in the Summer Olympics for the Canadian national team, and in 1998 and 2002 in the world championships. Following his playing career, he became a member of the executive staff of the Canadian national basketball team and deputy manager of Steve Nash, the godfather of R.J. Barrett. His mother Kesha (maiden name: Dukhani) was involved in athletics (sprint) at St. John’s University. Barrett partially grew up in France, in 2008 the family moved to Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Student career
He made his debut for Duke University’s Duke Blue Devils on November 6, 2018, with 33 points and 6 assists against the Kentucky Wildcats, a record for a Duke debut. On December 5 of the same year, he scored his first double-double with 27 points and 15 rebounds against the Hartford Hawks. In the new year, namely on January 12, he again crossed the mark of 30 points in a victory match against the Florida State Seminoles (80-78). On February 17, Barrett had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against the North Carolina Tar Hills. This was only the fourth time in the history of the team that a player issued a triple-double. At the end of the season, he was selected to the 1st National Team of the ACC Conference Stars and the 1st All-American National Team of the NCAA along with his teammate and best friend Zion Williamson. In its debut season, the university averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
Following Duke’s departure from March Madness, he announced his intention to run for the 2019 NBA Draft, where he is expected to be selected in one of the first three picks alongside Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.
Barrett won the gold medal alongside Canada’s U19 team at the 2017 FIBA FIBA World Cup, becoming the tournament’s MVP, averaging 21.6 points per game. He also played for the national teams under 16 and 17.
In June 2018, he made his senior international debut against China.
Professional career
- Season 2019–20
On June 20, 2019, the New York Knicks selected Barrett as the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. On July 3, Barrett formally contracted with the Knicks. On October 23, Barrett made his NBA debut, starting with a 111-120 loss to the San Antonio Spurs with 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two interceptions. On December 17, Barrett scored a record 27 points with six rebounds, an assist, and an interception in a 143-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Barrett broke his ankle against the Phoenix Suns on January 16, 2020. On March 2, Barrett tied his career record for 27 points, hitting for the rest of the game. He also had five rebounds, five assists, and one interception in a 125–123 win over the Houston Rockets. Barrett appeared in 56 games, starting at 55. He was controversially retired due to the NBA All-Rookie Team after the premature end of the regular season.
- 2020–21 season
On December 21, 2020, the Knicks announced that they had exercised their third one-year option on Barrett. On January 21, Barrett scored 28 points and made five assists and two rebounds in a 119-104 win over the Golden State Warriors. Barrett scored 32 career-high points on March 13, as well as five rebounds and three assists in a 97-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. R.J. Barrett.
