RJ Barrett
Born 2000 · Age 25
Canadian professional basketball player. Consensus top high school recruit (2018), one season at Duke (2018–19), selected 3rd overall in 2019 NBA Draft; played for New York Knicks (2019–2023) and Toronto Raptors (2024–present). FIBA U19 MVP (2017) and bronze medallist with Canada at 2023 FIBA World Cup.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rowan Alexander "RJ" Barrett Jr. born to Rowan Barrett Sr. and Kesha Duhaney in Toronto.
Started organized basketball with JDA Dijon youth setup
Played organized youth basketball while his father played professionally in France (2005–06 season).
Family settled in Mississauga, Ontario
RJ's family relocated to Mississauga when his father retired from professional basketball.
Identified as top under-12 player in Ontario; trained with Canada junior academy
At around age 12 he was identified by Ontario Basketball Association as a top player and trained with Canada Basketball junior academy.
Attended St. Marcellinus Secondary School; rose as top local prospect
Began high school at St. Marcellinus in Mississauga while playing AAU with Brampton Warriors/REDA and gained national attention as a freshman.
Scored 37 in under-15 provincial tournament
Scored 37 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 93–53 win over Quebec at an under-15 provincial tournament.
Named MVP of Guy Vetrie Memorial tournament
Scored 41 points and hit the game-winner for REDA in a 74–72 win over BTB Academy.
Futures Game – BioSteel All-Canadian: 25 points
Scored 25 points in the Futures Game at the BioSteel All-Canadian showcase for top grade 9 and 10 players in Canada.
Transferred to Montverde Academy (Florida)
One week after touring U.S. prep schools, transferred from St. Marcellinus to Montverde Academy to take his game to the next level.
Breakout nationally-televised high school game vs Huntington Prep
Led Montverde with a team-high 18 points in nationally-televised matchup.
31 points vs Chino Hills at City of Palms Classic
Scored 31 points in a City of Palms Classic quarterfinal loss to Chino Hills.
Named MaxPreps Freshman All-American First Team (2015–16)
Led Montverde in scoring as a freshman and earned national freshman honors from MaxPreps.
Jordan Brand Classic International Game MVP
Tallied 22 points and eight rebounds in the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic International Game and earned MVP honors.
Named to USA Today All-USA Preseason Team (sophomore season)
Entered 2016–17 among USA Today's preseason list of top high school players.
City of Palms Classic tournament MVP
Led Montverde to the City of Palms Classic title, scored a team-best 15 in the final and was named tournament MVP.
21 points to win Spalding Hoophall Classic
Scored 21 points in a 73–67 win over Bishop Montgomery to claim the Spalding Hoophall Classic.
Basketball Without Borders MVP
Earned MVP honors at Basketball Without Borders camp during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Nike Hoop Summit – World Select Team appearance
Posted nine points and two steals in 20 minutes for the World Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit.
FIBA U19 World Cup: led Canada to gold; named MVP
Recorded tournament-leading scoring (21.6 ppg), led Canada to its first U19 title and was named tournament MVP and to the All-Star Five.
Reclassified to 2018 class
Announced on July 31, 2017 that he was reclassifying to the 2018 recruiting class to enter college a year early.
Committed to Duke University
Announced commitment to play college basketball at Duke for the 2018–19 season, choosing Duke over other major programs.
McDonald's All-American & Nike Hoop Summit MVP (2018)
Scored 26 in McDonald's All-American Game and was named MVP of the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit after a 20-9-6-5 performance.
Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year & GEICO Nationals champion (Montverde)
In his final high school season was awarded Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and led undefeated Montverde to the GEICO National championship (25 pts, 15 reb in final).
Duke debut – 33 points vs Kentucky; Duke freshman scoring record
In his first regular season game for Duke posted 33 points and six assists vs No. 2 Kentucky, breaking the Duke freshman scoring record in a debut.
First college double-double (27 pts, 15 rebs vs Hartford)
Recorded 27 points and 15 rebounds for his first double-double at Duke.
Recorded a triple-double at Duke
Notched 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 94–78 win over NC State – fourth triple-double in Duke history.
Consensus first-team All-American & Jerry West Award; ended college season
Finished freshman year averaging 22.6 pts, 7.6 rebs and 4.3 ast; earned multiple national awards including Jerry West Award and All-ACC honors.
Led Duke in NCAA opener (26 pts & 14 rebs)
Posted 26 points and 14 rebounds in an 85–62 NCAA Tournament win over North Dakota State.
Declared for 2019 NBA Draft (forgoing remaining eligibility)
Announced intention to forgo final three seasons at Duke and declare for the NBA Draft.
Selected 3rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by New York Knicks
Drafted third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft (nicknamed "Maple Mamba" by some media).
Signed rookie contract with New York Knicks
Officially signed with the Knicks shortly after the draft (rookie deal).
NBA debut: 21 points vs Spurs
Made NBA debut starting for the Knicks and scored 21 points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 111–120 loss to San Antonio.
Rookie season then-career-high 27 points vs Hawks
Scored a then career-high 27 points in a 143–120 win over Atlanta.
Finished rookie season; All-Rookie snub controversy
Averaged 14.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.6 APG in 56 games (55 starts); controversially omitted from All-Rookie Team after shortened season.
Sprained ankle injury
Sustained a sprained ankle in a game versus the Phoenix Suns; missed time.
Clutch layup ties career-high 27 vs Rockets
Hit a late clutch layup to tie his career-high 27 points and helped Knicks win 125–123.
Knicks exercised third-year option on his contract
New York exercised Barrett's third-year option, keeping him under contract through at least 2022 under rookie scale terms.
Career-high (at the time) 28 points vs Warriors
Scored a then career-high 28 points with five assists in a Knicks win over Golden State.
Career-high 32 points vs Thunder
Posted a then career-high 32 points along with five rebounds and three assists in a 119–97 win.
Playoff debut: 14 points and 11 rebounds
Made his NBA playoff debut in Game 1 vs Atlanta, finishing with 14 points and a postseason career-high 11 rebounds.
Named to NBA Rising Stars (twice as rookie & sophomore)
Selected for Rising Stars events (noted as a rookie and sophomore; 2020 & 2021 selections).
Game-winning buzzer-beater vs Boston Celtics
Hit a contested game-winning three at the buzzer to complete a comeback and beat the Celtics 108–105.
Back-to-back 30+ point games; youngest Knick with consecutive 30s
Scored 31 on Jan 10 and 32 on Jan 12 becoming the youngest Knick (21) to record consecutive 30-point games.
Then career-high 36 points vs Lakers
Scored 36 points with eight rebounds and five assists in a 122–115 overtime loss.
Career-high 46 points vs Miami Heat
Scored a career-high 46 points in a 115–100 loss to the Heat; significant individual milestone.
Reached historical cumulative stat milestone before age 22
Became one of a small group of players to have 3,400+ points, 1,100+ rebounds and 550+ assists before turning 22.
Signed 4-year, $120M extension with Knicks
Re-signed with the New York Knicks on a four-year contract reportedly worth $120,000,000 — first Knick to sign such an extension after rookie deal since 1999.
Canada qualifies for 2024 Olympics during 2023 FIBA World Cup run
Canada qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics while advancing to the 2023 FIBA World Cup quarter-finals.
Won bronze medal with Canada at 2023 FIBA World Cup; clinching 3-pt shot
Scored 23 points and hit the clinching 3-pointer in overtime to seal the bronze over the USA — Canada's first World Cup medal.
Traded to Toronto Raptors
Traded by the New York Knicks to his hometown team, the Toronto Raptors, in exchange for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.
Raptors debut (hometown): 19 points, 9 rebounds
In his first game with the Toronto Raptors, scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 124–121 win over Cleveland.
Season-high 37 points vs Golden State Warriors
Scored 37 points on 13-of-20 shooting with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a 133–118 Raptors win.
Named to Canada's roster for 2024 Olympics
Selected for Canada's men's basketball roster to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Personal tragedy: brother Nathan died
RJ's younger brother Nathan, who played at Montverde Academy, died in March 2024 at age 19 — a major personal event.
Season-high 33 points and then-career-high 12 assists vs Lakers
Recorded 33 points and a then career-high 12 assists in a 131–125 loss to Los Angeles (noted in sources dated Nov 1, 2024).
First career triple-double (25-10-15) vs Boston Celtics
Recorded his first career triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 15 assists in an overtime loss to Boston.
Listed net worth reported (Lines / profile estimates)
Public profiles (Lines) list an estimated net worth of approximately $5 million, though this contrasts with cumulative guaranteed NBA earnings and other estimates.
Continued role as Raptors primary wing scorer and playmaker (statline snapshot)
Profile snapshots show season averages around 21.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 5.4 APG for 2024–25 (per NBA/ESPN snapshots).
Ongoing national team commitment
On May 24, 2022 Barrett agreed to a three-year commitment to the Canadian senior men's national team; continued participation expected through 2025 and the Paris Olympics.
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