Dreamer is the word to describe RJ Barrett, as the hoopster has always had a basketball in his hands, even as a kid. From a young age, his aspirations were clear: to play in the NBA. From high school dominance to breaking Duke’s freshman scoring record in his debut, this reflected his unshakable belief in his potential. On the court, he’s known for his fierce drive, unmatched work ethic, and ability to rise to any challenge—qualities that fuel his dreams of greatness. But, did you know, behind him is a family full of stars?

Is RJ Barrett a Jamaican? All about his family’s rich sporting legacy

Rowan Alexander “RJ” Barrett Jr. was born on June 14, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Thus, making his nationality Canadian. However, his ethnicity is not completely Canadian. Here’s how. RJ’s father Rowan Alexander Barrett Sr. was born in Canada and his mother Kesha Duhaney was born in New York, but both of them are Jamaican. Which then makes RJ Barrett Jamaican-Canadian by ethnicity. Talking about his siblings, the hoopster had one younger brother, Nathan Barrett, who died in March. However, the family hasn’t disclosed the reason yet. Going back to his parents, we now know where he gets his skills from!

Both of his parents were former athletes. Yes, starting from his mum, who used to be a sprinter and a long jump athlete in her college at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, United States. And that’s how she met her future husband. After moving to Canada with Barrett Sr. she worked at the Imperial Bank of Commerce in Toronto. With that said, RJ isn’t the first hoopster from his family.

His father, Barrett Sr. is a former player, who represented the Canada National Basketball Team in the 1993 FIBA AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He also played in the 1998 FIBA World Championship, once captained them at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Apart from national representation, the hoopster also represented many clubs in Asia and Europe. Do you know, that in 2002, he was once the top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League?

Having an Olympian father, and someone who spent most of his youth in Europe and Asia, RJ would always be around him and he also had the same number as his father. “He would always be out on the court after the games, shooting, you know, coming in after practice… Same uniform as Dad, and everything else. He had the same number. It was good early beginnings for him,” Rowan once said. With all this, RJ always knew what he wanted to be, a hoopster, and rather, turn into a winner!

“Dad, I want to make the Hall of Fame, I want to be an NBA champion, I want to be on the NBA All-Star team,” Rowan recalled.

What made his dad proud was the promise RJ had made. Once little RJ Barrett had written all his goals on a whiteboard, in which, one was about being No. 1 in Canada by 13, and top 10 in the US! “And by 13, he was number one in the U.S. and he’s been ever since.”

The hoopster, with just 4 games in November 2024, is already averaging 25.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists! However, it was not only his parents, who were athletes, it was even beyond that.

Dahlia Duhaney, the famous Jamaican sprinter, who was a member of the 4×100 relay team that won Gold at the 1991 World Championships is his maternal aunt. If that wasn’t it, then his maternal grandparents ran track for the Jamaica national team, and his uncle played football for the University of Maryland. All this made RJ Barrett love sports since childhood.

“We had a toy room where we put all the other balls from different sports, and we hid the basketball, and he would run around and search for the basketball. He always loved basketball,” his mum Kesha said. Well, if you think his connection with sports ends here, then, you’re wrong.

Is RJ Barrett the godson of Basketball Hall of Famer Steve Nash?

Yes, RJ Barrett is the godson of Steve Nash. It all began when the former Laker and his father played for the Canadian team multiple times. Rowan Sr. met Nash when they were U19s. From the start, they became close friends. All this reached a point when RJ was born and Nash purchased his first crib! The Raptor describes their relationship as, “It’s not like it’s just now, because I’m starting to you know get into NBA stuff, it’s since before I even knew who he was, so he’s always been there in my life and I appreciate that.” 

In summary, RJ Barrett’s journey to the NBA has been fueled by his relentless drive and ambition. From being inspired by his father’s legacy to creating his own in the basketball world, he has always aimed high. What’s next for this rising star?