“He was my best friend”: RJ Barrett reflects on younger brother’s untimely passing
RJ Barrett recently endured the tragic passing of his younger brother, Nathan earlier this month. The news surfaced on social media, with reports indicating that Barrett's younger brother had fallen ill several weeks before his death and had been at home surrounded by family.
The NBA community immediately came out in support of Barrett, sending love and well-wishes to his family. Since then, many have continued to throw their support behind Barrett and his family. At the same time, the NBA community has also expressed that they hope that the young Raptors standout is handling the tragic situation as well as can be expected.
Heading into the weekend, a statement from RJ Barrett relayed by Josh Lewenberg was shared on social media. In the statement Barrett opened up on his relationship with his brother, recalling pickup games between the two, indicating that his brother could do whatever he put his mind to.
"It's a hard time, for sure. He was my best friend. I'm always missing him. I still text him. I still call him sometimes; I don't know why. But I'm thankful for all the support from everybody & definitely from the Raptors."
"He was the best, man. I got basketball, but he got everything else. ... Whatever he put his mind to, he could do."
Looking at when RJ Barrett could potentially return to action for the Toronto Raptors
Given the tragic circumstances, many have wondered whether or not RJ Barrett will return to action this season. Before the news of his brother's passing, Barrett had missed time on the court due to an illness of his own.
The situation caused him to miss a series of games earlier this month, but some fans were questioning whether the team was intentionally tanking. With the Raptors outside playoff contention and expected to miss the play-in tournament, many theorized that they are vying for a top draft pick.
With the tragic passing of his brother, many have wondered whether the Raptors will allow Barrett to take the remainder of the season off. According to the young standout, though, being on the court and practicing with his teammates has been something that has helped him during this time.
"Basketball is my sanctuary so this actually brings me peace. ... If I know my brother he would want me to be here, to try to continue to make the Barrett legacy grow."
While he didn't give an exact timeline for when he plans to return to action, the team has just nine games left this season.
Their final stretch will next see them play the 76ers on Mar. 31, with their final game being on Apr. 14, meaning RJ Barrett has just over two weeks before the end of the season.
Although fans wouldn't blame him for taking time off, it sounds as though at some point during that stretch, the young standout plans to make his return.