Basketball star RJ Barrett from Mississauga steps up for a Team Canada win

Although the main event hasn’t yet started, Mississauga basketball star RJ Barrett is emerging as a star for Team Canada in the upcoming FIBA World Cup.

Named as one of three Team Canada’s “players to watch” by FIBA, Barrett is making a name for himself.

Team Canada is one of 32 teams heading to the FIBA World Cup from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

And although the World Cup hasn’t started, the New York Knicks guard has had a great start in the pre-tournament events. Barrett scored 31 points and helped Canada beat Germany 113-112 in overtime in the final of the DBB SuperCup in Hamburg, Germany on Sunday (Aug. 13).

The DBB SuperCup is a warm-up basketball tournament for the FIBA World Cup.

Barrett, who attended St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga then later Duke University, was the third overall selection in the 2019 basketball draft of amateurs and is now a guard for the New York Knicks.

His “late-game heroics” helped Team Canada win in overtime on Sunday, according to Canada Basketball.

“With Canada trailing 101-96 with under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, RJ Barrett stepped up,” Canada Basketball writes.

Barrett tied the game with a layup with only 10 seconds remaining, and then gave Canada a 113-110 lead with 90 seconds to go in overtime.

“squad’s just getting started,” Canada Basketball wrote on Instagram.

Canada will travel to Spain for a two-game exhibition series from Aug. 17 and 18. Canada will face the hosts and defending FIBA Men’s World Cup champions, Spain, on Aug. 17, before taking on Americas zone rivals, Dominican Republic, the following day, Aug. 18, according to Canada Basketball.

 

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