- Canada qualified for the Olympic Basketball tournament with a recent win over Spain
- RJ Barrett spoke after the game, telling the press that he had told his father they would make it
- RJ Barrett had 16 points and five rebounds to help Team Canada get the historic win
RJ Barrett may not have become an NBA superstar yet, but the 23-year-old has blossomed into quite the star for the New York Knicks and Team Canada.
After Canada beat Spain to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, they also qualified for the 2024 Olympics. And Barrett was over the moon about it after the game.
“We going to the Olympics, baby,” RJ Barrett said after the game. “Man, that’s crazy. You know, this is good. I told my dad I was gonna get there so yeah, I’m happy.
“Let’s go. It was a tough game, it was fun, man. Spain is an amazing team, they gave us a battle… Dillon was huge, Shai iced the game, and we dug deep man.”
He was then asked what he would get up to with his dad after this historic achievement and Barrett said, “We gonna pack, get out of here.
“But nah, imma chill with him, have dinner, whatever. Imma tell him I’m the second player to go to the Olympics in the family.”
"We're going to the Olympics baby"
–– RJ Barretthttps://t.co/E4Da51zQNL
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 3, 2023
RJ Barrett’s father, Rowan Barrett was also a professional basketball player who played for Team Canada. He competed with the team at the Summer Olympic Games in 2000, so he will be glad to see that his son will now be following in his footsteps.
RJ Barrett Put In A Big Performance For Team Canada In Their Win Over Spain
Canada’s game against Spain was far from straightforward. If they had lost, they would have been eliminated, and as it is, they only won by three points in a nail-biting 88-85 finish.
Most of the plaudits will go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up 30 points to go along with four rebounds and seven assists. He was also clutch and made the final shots to seal the game.
But RJ Barrett had himself a night as well, earning applause and respect from the watching fans.
RJ Barrett today in a must-win versus Spain:
16 points
5 rebounds
1 assist
4 turnovers
6/12 from the floor
2/6 from downtown
2/2 from the charity stripe
9 +/-
31 minutes and 50 seconds pic.twitter.com/1ig4WY1WvM
— Let’s Talk Knicks (LTK) (@LetsTalkKnicks_) September 3, 2023
The New York Knicks man put up a crucial 16 points, shooting 50% from the floor and making both of his free throws. He was able to assist Dillon Brooks on the defensive end as well, making it a stellar outing for him.
Team Canada Has To Face Luka Doncic And Slovenia In The World Cup Quarterfinals
The Olympic Games will be in the summer of 2024, but for now, Team Canada has to focus on their next game. The quarterfinal matchups have already been announced and a tough opponent awaits RJ Barrett and Canada.
The Quarter-Finals are set 🍿#FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/ePfcfQuZoN
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 3, 2023
Canada will face Luka Doncic and Slovenia in the quarterfinals in a game that will surely be far from easy. Luka Doncic is the leading scorer in the tournament so far and Slovenia have only lost one game.
If they can get past Slovenia, they will then face the winner of Serbia vs. Lithuania in the semifinals of the competition. Now that they have made it this far, Team Canada will be hoping to go all the way and likely face Team USA in the final.
RJ Barrett has played in three playoff series for the New York Knicks at this point, he knows what high-level basketball looks like. He will be raring to prove that just qualification to the Olympics is not enough for a young and exciting Canadian team.
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