- RJ Barrett will miss his second straight game for the Toronto Raptors on Friday
- RJ and Nathan’s former trainer Chris Stewart shared the news on Thursday
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
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RJ Barrett will miss the Toronto Raptors’ game against the Orlando Magic on Friday following the sudden death of his younger brother Nathan.
On Thursday, it was reported that Barrett, 23, will miss his second straight game due to personal reasons. Hours later, news emerged of the death of Nathan, four years RJ’s junior, with a heartfelt tribute from former trainer Chris Stewart.
Stewart coached the Barretts at the Mississauga Monarchs in their native Canada.
‘On March 12th my extended Monarchs family lost another member, Nathan Barrett,’ Stewart wrote on Instagram. ‘It’s hard to believe that this is the second time this has happened to my family and my basketball. Nathan was only with us for a short time in 7th grade before moving to Florida, but every time he was back in Mississauga the boys connected.
‘I saw Nathan last summer, all grown up, big smile and he was excited to tell me how he started school to become a pilot. I always say to my former players, if you were on my team even for one season, you will always be my family and don’t forget that.’
RJ Barrett will miss the Raptors’ game against Orlando following the death of his brother Nathan (R).
Former coach Chris Stewart wrote a heartfelt tribute to Nathan on Instagram after his death
Barrett will miss his second straight game as the Raptors are 12th in the Eastern Conference
‘If you have had the pleasure of knowing this family, you know how much they do for the basketball community, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. No parent should ever have to bury a child, hug your children today a little longer. You will be missed Nathan, RIP.’
The cause of Nathan’s death has not been disclosed. Nathan was RJ’s only sibling.
While his Instagram page is private, Nathan’s bio has the Bible verse ‘Jeremiah 29:11’ at the top and ‘Aspiring Pilot’ after the Canadian and Jamaican flags. He also wrote ‘Toronto/Miami’ at the bottom.
After being drafted by the New York Knicks in 2019, RJ was traded to the Raptors in 2023 in the same trade that brought OG Anunobi to the Big Apple.
Since the trade, the former Duke standout has played 27 games for his hometown team. Barrett is averaging 28.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and four assists while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
The Raptors are currently 23-43 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 16 games remaining in the regular season.