TORONTO — What can I say?
The pain of mourning the loss of a brother or son cannot be explained in the context of professional basketball. RJ Barrett returned to the Toronto Raptors in the last five days after being away for two weeks due to the death of his brother Nathan.
On the surface, Barrett is having a good time with the team. There is only so much time you can think about meaningless things. Nathan attended the same Montverde Academy as RJ and studied aviation. He intended to become a pilot. He was healthy until he wasn’t. Nathan spent his last few weeks back at his home in Toronto as RJ had the best performance of his NBA career. Never underestimate the human ability to compartmentalize. According to RJ, basketball is his sanctuary.
That doesn’t change what happened.
“He was my best friend,” RJ said Friday, speaking publicly for the first time since his brother’s death. “I miss him all the time. I still email him. I still call him from time to time. Thank you for everyone’s support during this difficult time.”
It was comforting that Barrett was able to see his brother before he died. He was playing a dynamite game in Denver on March 11, but received word the next morning that Nathan wasn’t feeling well. RJ returned to Toronto and met his late brother later that day. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
“He was the best,” RJ said. “I had basketball, he had everything else. I can’t draw, I can’t do anything else. But I can play cards – I can compete. I can, tell me that. But he had everything else. Whatever he wanted to do, whatever he set his mind to, he could do.”
But RJ got the basketball. He was about 6 inches behind his younger brother, but I don’t remember Nathan beating him in a match. RJ smiled as he recalled some of the conflicts in a way that anyone with a competitive sibling relationship would understand.
“He was really athletic,” R.J. said. “He was my little brother, so I would put him down for anything. He was always stubborn, always really aggressive. He was smaller than me, so I had to.
“Yeah, he’s going to be mad (if RJ hits him). He’s going to foul me. He’s going to say I’m cheating and stuff.”
Many members of the Raptors organization attended Nathan’s funeral last week. RJ and his father, Rowan, general manager of the Canadian men’s senior team, are well known. They have lived in the public eye.
Behind the scenes, Nathan was a calming and grounding presence for the Barrett family. This certainly helped R.J. when he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, which was by no means a low-pressure situation. There’s very little stability in the shadow of Madison Square Garden, so having a family that can provide a sense of stability is very important.
“I didn’t have a chance to meet Nathan before, but just hearing all the stories about him after the funeral, I felt like I knew he was a great young man,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. he said. “They’re a great family, very close-knit and very supportive of each other. For many of us, it’s a great example of how you should treat your family and how close you need to be.”
Rayakovic said that when the team gathers at the end of practice, they often say the word “family” in unison before leaving. The coach said the choice of words was no accident. He wants Raptors employees to support each other like family, even if they don’t overlap.
RJ said he feels that and appreciates it. He said he doesn’t know if he will play again this season. The Raptors have nine games remaining, but have lost 12 straight and are mathematically excluded from the playoffs. He can play again and get fit again if he wants, and that’s the way it should be.
The Raptors will support RJ in whatever decision he makes and will try to make his time with the team enjoyable. When you have nothing to say, that’s all you can do. Sometimes just being there is the best gift you can offer.
“Being here and being on schedule with everyone helps me every day. It’s fun to play with my teammates,” RJ said. “They’re interesting. I get to play with them, go to practice with them, support the players when I’m not playing. Whatever it is, just being around helps a lot.” You can
“We’ve had some people die in the past, but I think this one was a little more shocking for me. Yeah, this is obviously a little bit different, so it’s quite difficult. We have to move forward every day. , I think you have to try to understand that, because if I know my brother, he wants me to be here and play and continue to grow the Barrett legacy. Because it’s supposed to.”
(Photo: Dale Zanine / USA Today)
