In a heartbreaking announcement on X this week, the Toronto Raptors revealed the passing of Nathan Barrett, the younger brother of RJ and a rising young athlete. Nathan’s age and cause of death have been kept a secret so far, but the team says loved ones surrounded him in his final moments.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the loss of our beloved son and brother, Nathan Tyler Barrett, who passed away on Tuesday, March 12, surrounded by his family, church and friends,” wrote the Raptors in a statement. “While our family is devastated by this great loss, we will continue to cherish the memories and time spent together. Nathan was a God-fearing young man of strong character. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, compassionate, creative, admirable, and driven. During this difficult time, our family would like to ask for privacy but greatly appreciates the outpouring of love, support and prayers that we have been receiving. Though his time with us was brief, he will live forever in our hearts.”
Barrett’s former coach from the Mississauga Monarchs, Chris Stewart, later confirmed the news on Thursday with a post of condolences to the family and all those affected by the tragedy. He shared some details on his relationship with Nahan and even went on to reveal his ambitions of being a pilot.
“Nathan was only with us for a short time in grade 7 before he moved to Florida but whenever he was back in Mississauga the boys connected,” wrote Stewart on Instagram. “I saw Nathan last summer, all grown up, a big smile and he was excited telling me how he was starting school to become a pilot.”
According to the latest update from Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, Nathan fell ill weeks before his death and had been home leading up to his final moments.
RJ, who was recently traded to the Raptors, is expected to miss some time to grieve the loss of his brother, and he’s already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic, during which the Raptors held a moment of silence for Nathan.
Through 27 games, he’s played well enough with averages of 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game and expectations are high for what he can do in Toronto over the next few years. But for now, RJ just needs time to recover and the Raptors intend to give him all the time he needs.
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