Scottie Barnes says he gets love from Raptors fans "wherever I go" in Canada

If you haven’t already heard the news, sophomore forward Scottie Barnes seems to be loving his time with the Toronto Raptors.

In episode 8 of the NBA App original series, Pass the Rock, Barnes opened up about the joy he’s had while getting to play in front of a Canadian audience.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, who played his high school basketball for three different schools in the state before playing one year at Florida State, it’d be sensible to imagine there would be a few growing pains for the youngster.

Watch a behind the scenes look at @ScottBarnes561's journey in the NBA on Episode 8 of Pass The Rock on the NBA app!

🎬: https://t.co/A42s8TRDOT#NolesInThePros | @NBA pic.twitter.com/R8jJxS8DcX

— Florida State Men’s Basketball (@FSUHoops) April 5, 2023

But the opposite appears to be true.

“It’s not like a city or state is behind you. It’s a whole country. That’s a different feeling that you won’t get nowhere else,” the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Barnes said. “The city of Toronto has just been amazing. And they show me love if I go to a restaurant or if we go to Montreal… wherever I go, they’re going to just show me love and be able to support me.”

Barnes travelled with the team for exhibition games to Montreal and Edmonton this past season, getting a chance to see a bit more of his new home country.

He has averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 74 games this season with the Raptors, his second year in the league.

Expected to be one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams this season, it’s been a bit of an up-and-down season for Toronto, which currently sits ninth in the Eastern Conference at 40-39.

But with the team heading towards the play-in round next week with the intention of locking up a playoff spot for the second year in a row, Barnes seems optimistic about his team’s chances.

“We know what we can do as a team, and we’re just trying to stick to the right principles,” Barnes added. “I don’t think we’re satisfied at all; there’s still a lot of development. Our goal is the same goal every year, to try to win a Championship.”

Toronto returns to action tonight after last night’s 120-100 win over Charlotte when they visit the Boston Celtics at 7:30 pm ET.

You might also like:
• Four NBA stars share wisdom on Raptors' Scottie Barnes unlocking his potential