RJ Barrett is heading residence after New York traded him to Toronto in trade for OG Anunoby.
Speaking publicly for the primary time for the reason that commerce, Barrett mentioned he was thrilled with the result.
“I mean who doesn’t want to come home and play in front of family and friends and get a team that I’ve always loved so much back to where they were in 2019?” Barret mentioned forward of his Raptors debut on Monday.
“It’s great. I’m really happy, really excited to be here. I’m thankful. I’m blessed…I grew up a Raptors fan all my life. So to come here and put the jersey on, it’s going to be great.”
Barrett is one among many basketball success tales to come out of Canada over the previous handful years.
He is among the highest profile merchandise of what’s generally known as the Carter Effect, which refers to the numerous influence that Vince Carter had on popularizing basketball in Canada.
The concept is that Carter’s electrifying play in Toronto impressed a whole technology of younger Canadians to play basketball, ensuing within the nation’s golden technology that we see in the present day.
Other distinguished Canadian gamers embody Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Shaedon Sharpe, and Andrew Wiggins.
But Barrett is the primary of that crop of younger Canadians to play for the nation’s solely NBA crew, and clearly he couldn’t be happier.
Toronto’s followers additionally appear to be having fun with having one among their very own on the crew, with the gang giving him a warm ovation throughout introductions for Monday night time’s recreation.
READ MORE: OG Anunoby Reacts to Getting Traded For RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley
