NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash was at the Staples Center on Sunday as he watched his godson and fellow Canadian RJ Barett of the New York Knicks take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Although the home team did come away with a 135-132 win, Barrett's inspired play was one of the bright spots for the Knicks who managed to give the Western Conference powerhouse team a run for their money. The 19-year-old former Duke Blue Devil finished with 24 points and six boards in an efficient 7-for-11 shooting from the field.
Asked post-game what he thought about Barrett's performance, Nash praised the youngster's ability to elevate his game against a very tough opponent.
“I thought he played very well,’’ the two-time MVP said via Mark Berman of The New York Post. “I’m incredibly proud. It’s remarkable to see him at 19 play at this level, excel at this level. You see so much upside and potential. He’s going to have an exciting career.”
Even though RJ Barrett does not produce the same staggering numbers like some of the lottery picks from this year's draft class, Nash still credited him for making the most out of a dire situation in New York with the Knicks.
“Look, he’s 19, doing this for the first time,’’ Nash explained. “He’s on a team that’s new and relatively unfamiliar with each other. It’s a total shift in landscape and it’s a work in progress. I would expect inconsistency regardless. But he’s played so well in so many moments, the future is really, really bright. And with his professional and maturity, I can’t see him being anything less than a fantastic NBA player.’’
After the game, Barrett also talked to reporters and revealed that Nash told him he is happy that he is going through adversity early in his career.
Barrett is tallying decent numbers of 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals in his first season as a pro. Nash, on the other hand, continues to hold the position of senior adviser of the Canadian men's national team while juggling his responsibilities as a player development consultant for the Golden State Warriors.
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