The 'Maple Mamba' took the floor in his first Olympic Games on Saturday afternoon for Team Canada and Duke basketball standout RJ Barrett did not let his country down in its long awaited moment.
Although Barrett has spent much more time in his native land after being traded from the New York Knicks to the Toronto Raptors last season, he has always played well in international competition and the first game of pool play in the Olympics was no different.
The former Blue Devil led his squad with 23 points on a team-high 32 minutes, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor, while adding four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. His dunk with six seconds remaining sealed the 86-79 victory over Greece. He ironically bookended the scoring for Canada with its first basket in the opening minute.
Barrett has helped Canada earn a gold medal in the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2017, a silver medal in FIBA Americas U16 Championship in 2015, and a bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup in 2023 with the senior men's national team -- which clinched its berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, Saturday's victory was extra special for Canada as it was the country's first men's basketball appearance in the Olympics since 2000. Rowan Barrett Sr., RJ's father, was a player on the last Canada team to play in the Olympics as he's now the Vice President and General Manager of Canada Basketball.
Canada currently sits in second place in the Group A standings, trailing Australia by five in point differential after its victory over Spain.
RJ Barrett and the rest of the Canadian team will play the Aussies on Tuesday, July 30 (7:30 a.m. ET, USA) for a chance to advance to the knockout stage regardless of what happens in its third game of pool play.