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“Tryna Get That Passport”: NBA World Laughs at Ex-Rookie of the Year for National Anthem Antics Before Loss vs James Harden’s 76ers

Published 10/29/2022, 12:47 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The Philadelphia 76ers registered their 2nd win (112-109) of the season over the Toronto Raptors. Tyrese Maxey was the star of the night for the Sixers in the absence of Joel Embiid, scoring 44 points. James Harden, however, had a game to forget as he scored just 11 points in 34 mins. But apart from an enthralling game, the highlight of the evening perhaps was Raptors star Scottie Barnes singing the Canadian national anthem ahead of the game.

The Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes as the 4th overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft. He became the 2022 Rookie of the Year for his performances last season. He has elevated his form this season and has been crucial for the Raptors, who are 3-3 in the league so far. Barnes scored 13 points in the team’s loss at the hands of James Harden’s Philadelphia 76ers.

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Scottie Barnes stole every Raptors fan’s heart as he sang the Canadian national anthem ahead of the Raptors vs 76ers game. The video, however, came as a shock to many NBA fans as Barnes is born and brought up in the US.

NBA fans react to Scottie Barnes singing the Canadian national anthem

The video of Barnes singing ‘O’Canada‘ quickly went viral on social media, sparking reactions from NBA fans. Some trolled him for trying to get a Canadian passport, while Raptors fans hailed him for his actions.

Following are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:

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Scottie Barnes has continued his fine form from last season and has helped the team win three games so far. He averaged 15.3 points per game last season and started all 74 games he played for the Raptors. He scored 13 points in 29 mins for the Raptors in their loss to the Sixers. Barnes’ Raptors will be looking to bounce back from the loss when they host the Atlanta Hawks next.

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Philadelphia 76ers need James Harden to be back at his best again

The Sixers are 2-4 this season so far. James Harden started the season strongly and scored 35 points and 31 points respectively in the first two games. However, he averaged 17.5 points per game in the next four games. His current dip in form has been a big concern for the Sixers, who are among the favorites to win the championship this season.

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Joel Embiid and James Harden undoubtedly need to be at their best this season if the Sixers want to win the championship. Embiid missed out on the MVP Trophy last season to the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.

How do you think the 76ers will fare this season? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Abhishek Singh

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Abhishek Singh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of journalistic experience with Chase Your Sport and Dribl. A Football Management graduate, he has previously interned in the Indian Super League, I-League and the AFC Champions League. In addition to being a Michael Jordan fan, Abhishek is an ardent Steph Curry and Warriors guy, and believes they have a few more championships in store before the former retires.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani