Rowan Barrett’s diligent efforts have contributed significantly to Canada’s basketball scene’s growth and success in recent years. Barrett’s rise from high school prodigy to worldwide basketball administrator has been nothing short of extraordinary. Barrett, as executive vice-president and general manager of Canada Basketball, has played a critical role in establishing the sport’s future in his native nation.

In an interview with Sportsnet, he talks about his experiences, and the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup victory, and lavishes admiration on Dillon Brooks.

Canada’s GM praising Dillon Brooks

The recent FIBA Basketball World Cup represented a watershed moment in Canadian basketball. Canada not only qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, breaking a 24-year drought, but the squad also won a bronze medal, the first time a men’s Canadian team had done so since 1936. Understanding the significance of early player development, he advocated for discovering and fostering potential as early as elementary school. This forward-thinking strategy has aided Canada’s young basketball prodigies in blossoming into international stars. Players like RJ Barrett, Ignas Brazdeikis, and Andrew Nembhard blossomed through this strategy.

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During the interview, Barrett was asked if he thought Brooks would be the breakout star. To which he said, “Well, first of all, I think Dillon Brooks can play. Let’s not ever lose sight of that. Like, I don’t know what people are writing. But he can play … And Dillon was at the national training center from Day 1 every single day religiously working on his shooting, working on his body. He deserved this result, he worked like crazy, that’s why the guys were so happy for him.”

Future plans of Rowan Barrett

Barrett emphasizes the necessity of aggressiveness in athletics. He argues that being kind will not win games against great teams. A team must be aggressive and have the mentality that they are there to win in order to succeed. The world watched Canada’s success, and this, together with the voyage across the United States to earn victory, will motivate more young Canadian players to want to represent their country on the international arena.

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Barrett concludes by expressing confidence about the future of Canadian basketball. He envisions the squad standing on the podium, the outcome of years of hard work and sacrifice, with many months to prepare for the Olympics. The recent FIBA Basketball World Cup victory is only the beginning of the promising future for Canada’s basketball program.