T
he Santa Monica Pier is one of the most
well-worn tourist spots in all of California,
but for R.J. Barrett, after the past
12 months, spending two hours among
strangers was a welcome opportunity to
relax and blend into the crowd. So, in
between two-a-day workouts one afternoon in late May,
he brought some friends from Toronto to the boardwalk’s
mini–amusement park.
They ate hot dogs and funnel cakes (his funnel cake
was made of churros), and jumped on a hydraulic tower
that took them 44 feet in the air before dropping
straight down (the Pacific Plunge). Barrett shot carnival
free throws (he won a stuffed L.A. Chargers pillow), but
he declined to join in on the Inkie’s Scrambler, an
octopus-themed, spinning teacup sort of thing. “Come
on,” he said, “that’s five-year-old stuff.”
Just a few weeks later, Barrett—a shooting guard from
Duke—was selected with the third pick in June’s NBA
draft by the New York Knicks, and he’s excited for the
challenge of playing on one of the game’s biggest stages.
“I’m glad the city wants me here as much as I want to be
here,” he said.
Barrett’s time in the spotlight began well before he
team
New York Knicks
position
Shooting guard
spotlight
The Canadian scorer has long been
heralded as a star-in-the-making. Now
that he’s a pro, the first-round draft pick
is ready to embrace his bright future.
BY ANDREW SHARP
R.J. BARRETT
SIKIDS.COM / 17
