New York Knicks: 3 reasons to be excited about R.J. Barrett

1. R.J. is not a “hostage” in New York

An opinion being derived from the recent Kristaps Porzingis fiasco is that the atmosphere in a city as big as New York can be quite intimidating for some of the younger players in the league. An unstoppable stampede of media coverage proves to be too much for some rookies and sophomores who, at the end of the day, are still just kids.

The same does not seem to apply to R.J. Barrett who is loving the fact that he is a New York Knickerbocker.

R.J.’s father, Rowan, was a pro basketball player himself, forcing his family to relocate quite often as contracts in European basketball tend to be much shorter compared to the U.S..

R.J. has lived in Canada, Italy, Spain, Venezuela and France while growing up. Even in this unstable living environment, he always had a place he could call “home”. That place is no other than — you guessed it — New York.

The Barretts have always had members inhabiting New York City, meaning that R.J.’s summer vacations were usually spent there with his family. His late grandfather seemed to be of the utmost importance to him while growing up, as he was a diehard New York Knicks fan.

Perhaps the most significant incident of all was when his grandfather told him that he would one day play for the Knicks. This incredible emotional attachment appears to be only the cherry on top, as Barrett couldn’t control himself after being drafted third overall.

R.J. Barrett seems to be confident that he belongs here. To an organization as damaged as the Knicks currently are, a rookie that is both explosive and emotionally invested like Barrett might just be what these fans deserve after all.