RJ Barrett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
RJ Barrett

Barrett with Canada in 2023
No. 9 – Toronto Raptors
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(2000-06-14) June 14, 2000 (age 25) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
High school	St. Marcellinus (Mississauga, Ontario) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (2018–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Pro career	2019–present
League	NBA
Career history
2019–2023	New York Knicks
2023–present	Toronto Raptors
Career highlights and awards
Consensus first-team All-American (2019) Jerry West Award (2019) First-team All-ACC (2019) ACC All-Freshman team (2019) National high school player of the year (2018) McDonald's All-American (2018) FIBA U19 World Cup MVP (2017)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Canada FIBA World Cup Bronze 2023 Philippines–Japan–Indonesia FIBA U19 World Cup Gold 2017 Egypt Team FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship Silver 2015 Argentina Team

Rowan Alexander "RJ" Barrett Jr. (born June 14, 2000) is a Canadian professional basketball player. He plays for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was picked third overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. This happened after he played one year for the Duke Blue Devils college team.

RJ was born in Toronto, Canada. His father, Rowan Barrett, was also a professional basketball player. RJ became a star player at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. He then moved to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. He was considered the top high school player in his class in 2018. He won major awards like Naismith Prep Player of the Year. He was the first player since LeBron James to win all major high school awards and a national championship.

RJ also played for the Canadian national under-19 team. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He led his team to a gold medal in that tournament. He later joined the senior Canadian national team.

RJ's Early Life and Basketball Start

RJ Barrett was born in Toronto, Ontario. His parents are Kesha Duhaney and Rowan Barrett, a former pro basketball player. When he was very young, he loved basketball. He played with a mini-hoop in his playroom in France. His dad was playing pro basketball there at the time. In 2005, he started playing organized basketball in France. He went to a French school but learned English from his mom. He lived in different countries because of his dad's career. He often shot hoops after his dad's games and practices.

His family moved to Mississauga, Ontario, in 2008. This was when his dad stopped playing professional basketball. Growing up, RJ also played soccer, ran 100-meter sprints, and did the high jump. When he was 12, he decided to focus only on basketball. He told his dad he wanted to be an NBA All-Star and join the Basketball Hall of Fame. Sometimes, he even trained with Steve Nash, who is his godfather and his dad's friend.

Under his father's guidance, RJ became one of the best under-12 players in Ontario. He led his school team to a city title in Mississauga. He was named MVP even though he played against older kids. RJ also played for the Regional Elite Development Academy (REDA) on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit. He played against many teams from the United States. By age 15, RJ usually played as a point guard.

High School Basketball Journey

Playing at St. Marcellinus (2014–2015)

RJ started high school at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga. He also played for the Brampton Warriors AAU team. In October 2014, after he scored 27 points in a game, a Canadian recruiting website called him "special." This was impressive because he was only in his first year.

In February 2015, he was named MVP of a tournament. He scored 41 points and made the winning shot for his team. In April, RJ was invited to an all-star game. He was seen as the best young player in his area. In the same month, he scored 25 points in a game for top Canadian players.

Moving to Montverde Academy (2015–2018)

Freshman Year (2015–16)

In September 2015, RJ decided to leave St. Marcellinus. He transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. This school has a very strong basketball program. RJ made this move to "take his game to another level." However, he said the change was "rough" at first. In December, he scored 18 points in a game shown on national TV. He also scored 31 points in a tournament game.

In April 2016, he had 22 points and eight rebounds in an international game. He was named the MVP of that game. At the end of the season, RJ led Montverde Academy in scoring. He was named to the MaxPreps Freshman All-American First Team.

Sophomore Year (2016–17)

For his second year, RJ was named to a preseason team by USA Today. In November 2016, he was on the watch list for the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award. In December, he helped Montverde win a big tournament. He scored 15 points in the final game and was named the tournament MVP. In January 2017, he scored 21 points to help his team win another classic game.

In February, RJ won MVP honors at a basketball camp during NBA All-Star Weekend. He also played in the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit in April. He finished the season averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds per game. MaxPreps named him the National Sophomore of the Year.

Junior Year (2017–18)

On July 31, 2017, RJ decided to finish high school a year early. He felt ready for college sooner. Before the 2017–18 season, he was again named to the USA Today High School Sports All-USA Preseason Team. In his first game, he led Montverde with 29 points. Montverde was ranked the number one team in the country.

In March 2018, RJ won the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year award. This award is for players who show great character and leadership. RJ helped mentor younger basketball players with their skills and schoolwork. In the 2017–18 season, he led his undefeated Montverde team to a national championship. He had 25 points and 15 rebounds in the final game. RJ also scored 20 points, had nine rebounds, six assists, and five steals at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit. He was named MVP of that game.

College Recruiting Process

Barrett at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit

While in high school, RJ was seen as the top Canadian player in his class. He was rated as a five-star recruit. This means he was one of the best players in the country. Many top universities offered him scholarships. These included Arizona, Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky.

On August 16, 2017, RJ narrowed his choices to five schools. On November 10, 2017, he announced he would go to Duke for the 2018–2019 season. He said Duke "feels like home" and he loved their coach, Coach K.

College Basketball Career

Barrett with Duke in 2018

On November 6, 2018, RJ played his first regular season game for Duke. He scored 33 points and had six assists against Kentucky. This broke Duke's freshman scoring record for a debut game. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rookie of the week several times. On December 5, he had his first double-double with 27 points and 15 rebounds.

On February 17, 2019, RJ achieved a triple-double. He had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win. This was only the fourth time in Duke's history that a player recorded a triple-double. At the end of the regular season, RJ was named to the All-American First Team. He was also on the ACC All-Freshman team and the All-ACC First Team. USA Today named him their Player of the Year.

On March 22, RJ led Duke with 26 points and 14 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament win. As a freshman, he played in all 38 games. He averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. After Duke lost in the 2019 NCAA tournament, RJ decided to leave college early. He declared for the 2019 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

New York Knicks (2019–2023)

First Season (2019–20)

On June 20, 2019, the New York Knicks picked RJ Barrett as the third overall player in the 2019 NBA draft. He was sometimes called "Maple Mamba" because his playing style was like Kobe Bryant. On October 23, 2019, RJ played his first NBA game. He started and scored 21 points, had five rebounds, and two assists. On December 17, he scored a career-high 27 points in a win against the Atlanta Hawks.

Barrett with the Knicks in 2020

RJ finished his first season averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He played in 56 games and started in 55 of them.

Second Season (2020–21)

RJ made big improvements in his second year. He averaged 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. His shooting also got much better. He shot 40.1 percent from the three-point line. RJ started all 72 games during the season. The Knicks made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. However, they lost in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks.

Third Season (2021–22)

On January 6, 2022, RJ made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer against the Boston Celtics. This gave the Knicks a 108–105 victory. On January 10, he scored 31 points. On January 12, he scored 32 points. This made him the youngest Knicks player to have two games in a row with at least 30 points. He also became one of only eight NBA players to reach 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 300 assists by age 21. This group includes stars like Kevin Garnett and LeBron James.

On February 25, RJ scored a career-high 46 points in a game against the Miami Heat. He also became the youngest Knicks player to average 20 points per game for a season.

Fourth Season (2022–23)

On September 1, 2022, RJ signed a new four-year contract with the Knicks. He was the first player since 1999 to sign a multi-year extension with the Knicks after his first contract.

Toronto Raptors (2023–present)

On December 30, 2023, RJ was traded to the Toronto Raptors. This was a big move because the Raptors are his hometown team. In his first game with the Raptors on January 1, 2024, he scored 19 points and had nine rebounds. On January 7, 2024, RJ scored a season-high 37 points in a win against the Golden State Warriors.

On November 16, 2024, RJ achieved his first career triple-double. He had 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 15 assists in an overtime game.

Playing for Team Canada

RJ was the youngest player on Canada's under-16 national team. They won a silver medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. He led his team in scoring during that tournament.

In July 2017, RJ had an amazing game for Canada's under-19 team. He scored 38 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and had five assists. This helped Canada beat the US in the semifinals of the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He then led Canada to win the championship. He was named the tournament's MVP.

In June 2018, RJ played his first game for Canada's senior men's national team. He scored 16 points in a win against China.

On September 3, 2023, Canada qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. This also secured them a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics. RJ helped Canada win the bronze medal against the United States. He scored 23 points in that game. This was Canada's first World Cup medal ever.

He was chosen to play for Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Career Statistics

Here are some of RJ Barrett's basketball statistics.

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

College Statistics

RJ's Family and Personal Life

RJ's father, Rowan Barrett, was born in Toronto to Jamaican parents. He played college basketball and then played professionally in Europe and South America. Rowan Sr. was also a long-time member of the Canadian national team. He was the team's captain at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Later, he became an executive for Canada Basketball.

RJ is the godson of Steve Nash. Steve Nash is a famous basketball player who is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He also used to coach the Brooklyn Nets. Steve Nash played with RJ's father on the Canadian national team. They became close friends. When RJ was a baby, Steve Nash even bought him his first crib.

RJ's mother, Kesha Duhaney, is from Brooklyn, New York. She was a nationally ranked sprinter and long jumper in college. RJ can speak French very well, even though he said he was "a little rusty" in 2018. RJ's younger brother, Nathan, also played basketball at Montverde Academy. Sadly, Nathan passed away in March 2024 at age 19.

See also

In Spanish: R. J. Barrett para niños

• List of Canadian sports personalities