“Follow in Your Footsteps”: RJ Barrett Reveals His Goal With the Raptors; Can He Possibly Emulate Vince Carter?

Vince Carter inspired a generation of Canadian basketball players with his high-flying play for the Toronto Raptors. In a video honoring the legendary forward, RJ Barrett shared his admiration for Carter. The 24-year-old rising star shared that he wanted to be a player like Carter. 

The Hall-of-Famer defined an era of Canadian basketball and made fans want to watch the Raptors. Such was his impact on the Toronto side, that they retired his jersey at halftime during their game against the Lakers last night. His is the ONLY jersey to be lifted to the rafters at the Scotiabank Arena.

Barrett has expressed a desire to have that same kind of impact. He said, 

“Now to be on the Raptors and just follow in your footsteps.” 

Growing up watching the Raptors play, Barrett idolized Vince. The legendary forward brought excitement, fun, and, most importantly, winning basketball to the Toronto-based team. Furthermore, he gave young fans a figure to look up to on the court, something they hadn’t had in a while. 

Barett intends to follow in Carter’s footsteps and help the Raptors shine. But the question is, can he do it? The 24-year-old came into the League as a top prospect (#3 in his draft behind Zion and Ja) but has had limited success so far. 

Barrett’s stats have improved a lot after being traded by the Knicks. His scoring jumped from 18.2 ppg to 21.2 ppg. He also averaged more rebounds and assists while shooting the 3-ball better. Despite this, the Raptors have not seen much team success so far. But his start to this season shows flashes of potential. 

RJ is one step closer to Vince 

The 24-year-old has had a hot start to the 2024-25 season so far. He’s averaging 28 ppg, with 7.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Furthermore, his 3-pointer is red hot right now, as the star is shooting 52.9% from beyond the arc.

He was the highest scorer on the Raptors yesterday in their loss to the Lakers, scoring 33 points in 32 minutes. He shot 63.6% from the field and a whopping 60% from beyond the arc.

If Barrett continues this form and can play at this level consistently, it will bring him one step closer to reaching Vince Carter. His long-range shooting is a surprise in particular considering how he struggled with it on the Knicks. 

It will be interesting to see how Barrett plays as the season progresses and whether he can maintain this form. He has a long journey ahead to reach his Hall-of-Fame idol’s level.