Rowan Alexander Barrett Jr. was born June 14, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Rowan Sr., was born in Scarborough to Jamaican parents. The elder Rowan hadn’t even played basketball as a child — he ran track, racing friends at recess every day. Basketball came later. He played at St. John’s, turned pro in Europe and South America, and captained the Canadian national team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. His closest friend on that team was Steve Nash.
When RJ was born, Nash bought him his first crib. He became the baby’s godfather. Two-time NBA MVP. Hall of Famer. ‘Dad, what’s Uncle Steve gonna do against Kobe?’ RJ once asked his father while watching Nash on television.
RJ’s mother, Kesha Duhaney, was a nationally ranked sprinter and long jumper at St. John’s — where she met Rowan. Brooklyn-born, Jamaican descent. Her aunt Dahlia won a 4×100m gold at the 1991 World Championships for Jamaica. ‘My mom is crazy competitive. She always wants to beat my dad. But my dad never wants us to beat him. Ever.’
The family lived in France for five years — Dijon, Chalon, Lyon — where RJ played youth basketball in the JDA Dijon Basket club, wearing the same uniform and number as his father. He attended French schools. His mother taught him English at home. He grew up bilingual.
The family returned to Mississauga in 2008. At twelve, after struggling in a game and coming home crying, RJ decided to focus entirely on basketball. At fifteen, he left Canada alone for Montverde Academy in Florida. ‘The first year was definitely the worst. I was not used to being away from my parents.’ He saw them every couple months for three years.
At Montverde: #1 recruit in America. Undefeated season. National championship. Naismith Prep POY. Gatorade National POY. McDonald’s All-American (26 pts). First since LeBron to sweep all major HS awards and win a national title. Summer 2017: led Canada to FIBA U19 World Cup gold, scoring 38/13/5 vs Team USA to end America’s six-year winning streak. Tournament MVP at seventeen.