RJ Barrett, the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, sent out a warning to his NBA peers.
In an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post, the 19-year-old Duke standout talked about his on-court mentality and the advice he received from NBA legend Steve Nash.
For Barrett, he's a ‘killer' on the court and the type of player who will do anything that the coach needs.
Article Continues Below“On the court I’m a killer, I’m competitive. Anything the coach needs me to do I can do,” Barrett said.
Ahead of the NBA Draft, there was no question among scouts that Barrett would fall within the top three picks. In his lone season with Duke, the Toronto native averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Despite the relative success he's achieved, Barett is not content one bit.
Fellow Canadian and his godfather Steve Nash told Barrett once that he should always “think like an underdog.” It's a mantra that he understands very well.
“You always have to do that. That’s how I think. If you think like you already made it, you’re not gonna work as hard, you’re not gonna be as motivated,” Barrett added. “But if you think everything’s stacked against you, you’re gonna go out there and get it.”
As Barrett continues his basketball journey in the NBA, we may see another basketball star on the rise. We've all seen the clips and statistics which reveal his potential. Now it's time to see it slowly bloom on basketball's biggest stage.