As RJ Barrett Grieves His Younger Brother, Raptors Head Coach Breaks Silence on the “Worst Thing” 23YO Star & Team Can Do

Published 03/16/2024, 12:39 AM EDT

Toronto Raptors star RJ Barrett suffered a heartbreaking loss this week. His younger brother, Nathan Barrett, passed away on Tuesday. The 23-year-old guard is still grieving from the loss of his brother and has not played a game since the incident. Amid the tragedy, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic broke his silence and revealed how the team can help Barrett during these tough times.

In an interview with The Athletic, Rajakovic made sure RJ knew that his team was always available to support him. “RJ knows really well that we are here for him and that he can make a call and get anything that he needs.” Barrett could have a conversation with any of the team members or just get in the gym to lighten the weight of the thoughts of his brother’s death. Rajakovic also noted, “The worst thing for anybody in that case is just to shut down and get in your own world. You’ve got to be able to ask for help and receive help and just have conversations.”

Many people can go into their own bubble and isolate themselves during tragic times, and that can affect their mental and physical well-being. Darko does not want that to happen with RJ. “(We’re) just making sure that everybody knows that we are here for (all the players), that we’re gonna help you in any way possible.” The Raptors head coach understands how difficult it is to deal with the loss of a loved one because he had to go through a similar tragedy two months ago.

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Darko Rajakovic reveals how he dealt with the loss of a friend

Two months ago, the NBA Community lost a great coach. Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic passed away at the age of 46 due to a sudden heart attack. The news affected Rajakovic deeply because Dejan and Darko were good friends and shared Serbian roots. But the Raptors head coach continued to work through the grief. He revealed how sharing his pain with the team helped him, “It is an escape. It is a safe place.”

Rajakovic wants to be the same support system for RJ Barrett amid his brother’s loss as the Raptors were for him. “Unfortunately, it is part of life. It’s something that all of us need to learn how to deal with.” The Raptors head coach believes being a part of something bigger than yourself, like a team or the NBA can help immensely in the healing process.

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Written by:

Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.

Edited by:

Ankit Singh

As RJ Barrett Grieves His Younger Brother, Raptors Head Coach Breaks Silence on the “Worst Thing” 23YO Star & Team Can Do

Darko Rajakovic reveals how he dealt with the loss of a friend

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