It has been more than two weeks since the tragic passing of RJ Barrett's younger brother Nathan, and the Toronto Raptors player is now ready to address the media. The pain on his face was visible as he tries to find the strength to move forward in life and on the court following this loss.
“I've had some people in my life pass, but this one hit a little harder for me,” Barrett said, per Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto and Sportsnet. “It's a lot tougher, and I just think that you have to push forward every day. (You've) got to be able to try to figure it out because, if I know my brother, he would want me to be here playing, try to just continue to make the Barrett legacy grow.”
An emotional RJ Barrett spoke to the media today for the first time since the passing of his younger brother Nathan on March 12th: pic.twitter.com/D49eKuYXUc
— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) March 29, 2024
The 23-year-old out of Duke took a leave of absence following the devastating passing of his 19-year-old brother. Nathan had become ill in the weeks prior.
RJ Barrett missed the Raptors' last eight games but returned to the team earlier in the week. While it is not currently known when he will officially take the court again, Sunday's home matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers is certainly plausible.
The organization is not going to push him, though. One of the major reasons why Barrett– a Toronto native– was excited to play for the Raptors is because of the value he places on family. Navigating this heartbreak while trying to be there for his struggling team is unimaginably difficult.
Basketball might hold a new meaning for Raptors' RJ Barrett
The No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is displaying great bravery by publicly speaking on Nathan Barrett. Basketball is ostensibly a way for him to feel connected to his brother, hence his personal obligation to “grow the family legacy.”
Nathan followed in RJ's footsteps and played basketball at Florida's Montverde Academy. That wasn't his only passion, though, as he was studying to become a pilot. He had lofty ambitions that now painfully go unrealized. RJ Barrett is determined to honor him in any way he can.
His journey with the Raptors will likely carry a different meaning from this point on. Despite Toronto's 23-50 record, Barrett is arguably playing the best basketball of his career.
He has been highly efficient since being traded from the New York Knicks at the end of 2023, tallying 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night while shooting 55.3 percent from the field and a whopping 41.7 percent from 3-point land.
Although his contract is costly (four years, $107 million), RJ Barrett is doing everything in his power to show that he can be a valuable part of this franchise's long-term future.
But for now, both he and the Raptors are focused on ending this season with some positivity. They are currently in the midst of a 12-game losing streak and were just officially eliminated from NBA Play-In contention. Regardless of how the year wraps up, Barrett will lean on his teammates and his love for the game during this time of mourning.
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