With the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks selected Duke star R.J. Barrett. Coming into the draft, there was no doubt that his Duke teammate Zion Williamson was going to be selected with the no. 1 pick overall, but there were whispers that the 6’7 left-handed Barrett was considered the better overall talent.

In his one season as a Duke Blue Devil, Barrett put up deft averages of 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists on 45.4 FG%, 30.8 3P%, 66.5 FT% in 36 games. Not bad for a Freshman.

New York Knicks and R.J. Barrett Made for One Another

Even before the draft, there were several telling signs that this was going to be a good fit on both sides. Barrett has publicly said he’s wanted to be a Knick and only wants to work out for the storied franchise, telling reporters:

“I won’t be meeting with any other teams,” Barrett said. “This is the place I want to be, so I hope they draft me.”

What young player wouldn’t want to live in New York City? That’s great that Barrett wants to be a New York Knick, but how do the Knicks feel about the 19-year old Canadian?  By all accounts, the Knicks have reciprocated that feel. From the get go, the Knicks reportedly were locked on taking Barrett with their #3 pick.

R.J. Barrett New York Knicks Jerseys

Now that Barrett is officially a New York Knickerbocker, he’ll have to perform with the pressure of playing in a city starved for success. However we shouldn’t be concerned whether he’ll be able to handle the stress and spotlight. When asked by Stephen A. Smith on the prospect of playing in New York City, Barrett responded: “Biggest thing is my confidence. I’m built for this. I’ve been workin’ since I was young, so I’m not really worried.”

I’m sold. And if Barrett can perform as he knows he can, it’s likely others will be sold on the top prospect. That also means that R.J. Barrett’s jerseys will also sell. Here’s a first look at some of those official New York Knicks uniforms with Barrett’s number on them.

Now that Barrett’s been chosen by the Knicks, the NBA Store released the officially-licensed, Nike R.J. Barrett Knicks jersey below.

https://store.nba.com/new-york-knicks/mens-new-york-knicks-rj-barrett-nike-jersey/

Going into the draft we weren’t sure what number Barrett would choose. The NBA Store currently has Barrett’s Knicks jersey as #9. After Barrett was drafted, it was showing #00, so there must be some truth to the #9. At Duke and for Team Canada, Barrett wore the #5 jersey. According to basketball reference, 27 players have worn that jersey number and #5 is currently worn by Dennis Smith Jr. Sounds like the two will have to work something out if Barrett wants #5.

Barrett Ready for the Pressures of the NBA

Some of Barrett’s toughness and confidence comes from being a very good player since he was young in domestic tournaments and international competition. Up until Zion exploded in popularity and on the draft boards this past year, Barrett was regarded as the number one draft pick and best player in his class (some still think he’s the better player overall).

Not just that, his National Team experience was often as a the youngest player on the team. For example, at fourteen years old, Barrett led the U16 Canadian National Team in scoring. And at the Under-19 FIBA World Cup, the 17 year old Barrett scored a game high 38 points while pulling down 13 rebounds and passing for 5 assists when Canada defeated the Team USA team 99-87, a team led by John Calipari. Barrett would lead Canada to the gold medal in that tournament. Get R.J. Barrett’s NBA uniform for the Knicks.