New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has set his own standards in terms of what he wants to achieve throughout his NBA career.
The third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft told Steve Serby of the New York Post that he wants to be recognized as the best player in the history of the league when everything is said and done.
Q: What drives you?
A: Just my will or my want to be the best. I want to be the best I can be and I want to be the best ever. So I’m not gonna stop until I achieve that.Q: The best ever in the history of basketball?
A: Yeah. Why not?
Barrett was once regarded as the best collegiate player in the United States. However, the emergence of Zion Williamson and Ja Morant took some of the spotlights away from him. Those two were picked ahead of Barrett, so the 19-year-old forward feels like he needs to remind everyone of who he once was.
Article Continues BelowThe first step? Win the Rookie of the Year honors next season. Barrett knows that he can do it, and he will definitely do everything he can to achieve it. There are a lot of promising rookies in this year's draft class, but for RJ, he's a cut above the rest.
Barrett also hopes to be able to talk to superstar LeBron James in the future, as he would like to get some pointers on how to stand out in the NBA.
The Knicks' rookie is extremely motivated, and he has the right mindset and approach heading into next season. That's a good start.