Life is bigger than basketball. Often, action on the court overtakes all the other things outside of it. But, the ball will not always keep bouncing and players will need time to absorb what's happening around them. RJ Barrett will have to take some time off to grieve the passing of his brother, Nathan Barrett. This also means that the Toronto Raptors will not see him in action when they face the Paolo Banchero-led Orlando Magic.
RJ Barrett was immediately ruled out for the Magic game after the news broke. Chris Stewart, the Raptors player's former coach and someone close to Nathan Barrett, was the one who released the unfortunate information to the public through an Instagram post.
“On March 12 my extended Monarch’s family lost another member @thenathanbarrett. It’s hard to believe this is the second time this has happened to my family & basketball community. Nathan was only with us for a short time in grade 7 before he moved to Florida but whenever he was back in Mississauga the boys connected,” Stewart wrote.
The Raptors up-and-coming star is an inspiration for his younger brother. Nathan was also trying to make it into the NBA as he got closer to his dreams with Montverde Academy. During that journey, he surely touched a lot of hearts just like Coach Stewart.
“If you have had the pleasure of knowing this family you know how much they do for the basketball community so keep them in your thoughts and prayers. No parent should ever have to bury a child, hug your kids today a little longer. You will be missed Nathan, RIP,” he concluded.
Barrett's season with the Raptors so far
RJ was not present when the Raptors faced the Detroit Pistons. He was out of the game due to personal reasons. This missed game against the Magic and Paolo Banchero marks his second straight absence. He will be given enough time to grieve and recover from this gut-wrenching loss.
Moreover, postseason hopes are getting shut down for the Raptors. Their NBA Trade Deadline moves have not netted them a lot of entries in the win column which leaves them at 12th in the Eastern Conference standings. They have also lost seven out of their last 10 games. All signs point to starting to figure out how they can be better next season while preserving their players in the last 16 games.
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