Scottie Barnes may only be 22 games into his NBA career, but the Toronto Raptors rookie has already had his starstruck moment—or so he proclaims.
On Monday, Raptors 905 (the parent club’s G League affiliate) played an early game at Scotiabank Arena against the Capital City Go-Go. It’s not unusual to see members of Toronto appear at the contests when their schedules allow for it (in fact, the organization encourages it), and so it was no surprise to see Barnes make an Instagram post revealing that he was in attendance.
What was surprising (and hilarious) was Barnes’ video and its caption. The quick clip showed him calling out to and waving at none other than his star teammate Pascal Siakam before reaching out for a handshake. Siakam jokingly seemed to ignore the rookie momentarily, pulling up his mask and shaking his head, but ultimately gave Barnes the daps he was looking for.
Barnes' caption reads: “Just got a handshake from my favorite player.”
“That’s my favorite player, y’know?” Barnes reiterated with an impish smile in practice on Tuesday. “Really good player. I was in the stands, I saw him, and I just wanted to touch his hand. It’s a good moment for me.”
Why Pascal Siakam is Scottie Barnes' favourite player: pic.twitter.com/DpY68sOQkG
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) December 7, 2021
Beyond the tomfoolery, though, Barnes and Siakam’s respect and admiration for one another as basketball players only appears to be growing with time. Which is good, because as the duo begins to mesh and develop a two-man chemistry, the Raptors will find themselves that much closer to where they want to be.
“Just the amount of hard work and effort he puts in every single day,” Barnes shared when asked what about why his teammate sits so high in his books. “He comes to the gym extra early, and then when you see him on the court he’s just really good. Able to get to his spots, score, and he also is a great defender.”
Although Fred VanVleet has been far and away the best player on the Raptors this season, Siakam at his best and healthiest is still the roster’s go-to guy. Watching him establish an off-the-court relationship with the team’s possible future star is nothing if not heartwarming—not to mention a wonderful display of leadership.
“Every day he comes in and works hard,” Barnes said. “He’s a good example for us young guys.”
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