Toronto Raptors Media Availability | March 29, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | March 29, 2024

RJ obviously very very difficult few weeks for you and your family and um maybe just take us through that last time I guess I saw he was in in Denver and uh you know just walk us through the next few days you can yeah no you know

It was um no even while I was playing you know just knew it was kind of it’s kind of happening and then know after the Denver game in the morning kind of just you know I got I got woken up early and and I had to get you know back to

Toronto really fast so no I did I I got there and you know I’m glad I was able to get there before you know right before he he he passed so yeah but I mean everything after that just making sure that you my family and I are

Together I’m trying to keep each other strong you know it’s a hard time for sure um you know that’s he was he was my best friend so you know always always missing him you know I still text them I still call him sometimes I don’t know

Why but yeah so just a tough time but know I’m I’m thankful for just the all the support from from everybody and you know definitely the Raptors you know being able to to give me that time and um and just welcoming me back obviously family is the most important thing that

Get through this but does the organization and your teammates and being around your friends like that help a little bit yeah you know for sure um I mean you know even the organization was able to you know attend the the funeral and stuff so you know a lot of support

For it um means a lot to me means a lot to my family and like I said I’m very grateful uh for this organization glad to be back around basketball yeah man I love basketball so it’s kind of My Sanctuary so yeah how do you guys like

Compartmentalize go on the court to do your thing also we don’t know what’s going on off the court with all of you guys MH yeah man it it it helps you know you come here come to an environment where you know everyone wants to you know get better every everyone loves

Basketball here um so that helps and then also just getting the workout in getting the sweat and just coming here where only thing that matters is you know getting better playing basketball winning basketball games you know that’s just something that just you know you’re able to compete kind of just take your

Mind off things for a little while you think you’ll play again we’ll see uh I don’t know I’m here I’m here working out and practicing so we’ll see what happens was important for you you to come back um when did you M why did

You uh I felt like I I could be ready cuz one I just I I felt like like I said basketball is My Sanctuary so this actually you know brings me peace you know it helps me every day to to be here and also just you know be on a schedule

And just be around the guys I mean you know hanging out with with with your teammates like that’s it’s it’s funny you know like they’re they’re funny you get to hang out with them uh we get to go you know practice and just you know even support the guys like when I’m not

Playing just whatever it is just just be around has been helping you know a lot people always say like basketball as a Brotherhood and not even just your teammates but Canada basketball and just the NBA Community as a whole does something like this kind of put that into perspective how much everybody

Means to each other in in moments where outside of sports and outside of basketball where it actually matters yeah you know I’ve had some some people in my life you know past but I think this one uh this one hit a little you know a little harder for me uh

So yeah this one this one’s definitely a little a little different so it’s a lot tougher and and I just think that got to push forward every day got to be able to try to figure it out cuz also you know if I know my brother he he would want me you

Know to be to be here to be playing to you know try to just continue to you know make the the Barrett Legacy grow what was his game like he was he was really athletic he was like I mean he was my little brother and I beat him

With everything so he he was always like the the stubborn you know really aggressive all the time like you know he was he was smaller than me and stuff so he kind of had to be that way you know so yeah oh he would be mad he would he

Would foul me he would he would be saying I’m cheating all that stuff never let him beat you no he he don’t he doesn’t beat me no I mean what the uh what what I me obviously you’re in the public ey a lot so have a feeling for what RJ

Like what about he was the best he was the best man he was I got basketball but he got everything else so like I can’t I can’t draw I can’t do anything else and he I can play cards though I can compete I’ll tell you that but he just he had

Everything else whatever he wanted to do you know whatever he put his mind to you know he could do like literally the last thing he was doing he was in Pilot in school like so he whatever he put his mind to he was able to achieve talking

Our game what kind of what can can a team offer to a young man going through something like that you know what um a lot of times when we bring in at the end of the practice at the end of the game before the end of the game before the start of

The game we bring in the safe family you know and lot of times it can be taken lightly you know and I do not take it lightly uh those guys uh all the players staff uh medical performance front office everybody working for the organization and around organization We

Are One family we represent Toronto Raptors and for me it means so much uh you know when one of the players is going through tough times that we can be out there and support you know and uh for RJ being with his teammates being being on a basketball court for all of

Us it’s it’s Escape you know and and uh especially in this situation that he knows that we have his back that we’re going to support him with everything he needs and that we are his extended family you been touched by death so much this year with decky and now was RJ

And there a wear on you like con seem to be it is uh hard it is very emotional um but at the end of the day um it’s a God’s Will and there is a reasoning behind it that’s a part of life you know um it’s it’s a Lifey Cycles cycle you

Know what really makes hard when it’s happen to young people you know when it just like you know when it jumps the turn you know and it happens to to young people those are really really hard but you know you cannot comment on how somebody is connected with somebody what

Kind of relationship uh they had and it’s it’s definitely hard on on whenever it happens you know but at the same time it’s uh it’s coming back being surrounded with people that you love being surrounded with family being surrounded with your teammates and coaches that really gives you strength to to keep pushing

Forward the team made funeral and what did you learn about brother um I did not have chance to meet meet uh Nathan uh privately but just uh hearing all the stories about him uh after leaving the the funeral I felt that I I I knew him you know that he was

Amazing young man uh amazing family very tight very uh uh supportive of each other you know um just like great example for for for a lot of us you know how do we need to treat family members and how how close we need to be about who

Ery uh coach Cory uh well coach uh coach Eric was with us in uh in preseason uh he spent a lot of times during our coaches Retreats that we had this past summer and uh he’s somebody who really genuinely loves this organization and the team and uh he’s been around for a

Long time uh he’s somebody who uh who is a really hard worker uh I thought that that he did a really good job this year balancing all the stuff that they need to balance you know because of our injuries and collabs and all of that but

That’s that’s why we have that team uh to be our support and to be our backbone and I I I think they they did an amazing job this year uh OA is feeling better um thank God it’s not as serious as we as we thought uh he’s going to be out this

This game on Sunday he’ll need couple of days to get back to it but uh but he’s recovering well it uh he fall on his back but it was like uh culmination of couple of things a little bit of fear of the moment and what not and like he his back

Uh stiffen up all the uh mes and everything came back negative he’s just like really really s right now well it looks like SC Yak is still limited to the right hand looks like Scotty’s using his left a little bit has he been able

To ramp up at all uh Scotty today is his first day that he’s able to to do more with his left hand uh Yak is still uh operating with right hand uh focusing more on a skill and also physical uh physical work working on performance now agility and explosiveness that’s the big

Focus right now thanks for watching the Toronto Raptor YouTube channel check out our latest videos and subscribe for more Trent answers back Gary side step great got it

RJ Barrett and Head Coach Darko Rajakovic speak with the media following Friday’s practice. #Raptors #torontoraptors

00:00 RJ Barrett
05:06 Darko Rajakovic