RJ Barrett is heading home after New York traded him to Toronto in exchange for OG Anunoby.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the trade, Barrett said he was thrilled with the outcome.
“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 said ahead 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 of many basketball success stories to come out of Canada over the past handful years.
He is one of the highest profile products of what’s known as the Carter Effect, which refers to the significant impact that Vince Carter had on popularizing basketball in Canada.
The theory is that Carter’s electrifying play in Toronto inspired an entire generation of young Canadians to play basketball, resulting in the country’s golden generation that we see today.
Other prominent Canadian players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Shaedon Sharpe, and Andrew Wiggins.
But Barrett is the first of that crop of young Canadians to play for the country’s only NBA team, and clearly he couldn’t be happier.
Toronto’s fans also seem to be enjoying having one of their own on the team, with the crowd giving him a warm ovation during introductions for Monday night’s game.
READ MORE: OG Anunoby Reacts to Getting Traded For RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley
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