RJ Barrett admitted it wasn't easy watching the New York Knicks celebrate their NBA championship. The former Knicks forward, now with the Toronto Raptors, saw his old team complete their title run with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on June 14, 2026.
Barrett spent over four seasons in New York, helping build the foundation for that success. His honest reaction mixes pride with a competitive fire now focused on Toronto.
Barrett watched the Finals from Toronto after the Raptors' season ended in the first round. He described a complex mix of emotions. "At first, I definitely feel a little salty in terms of; we lost, the Raptors lost in the first round, so that hurt," Barrett said. "But if anybody else were to win it, I'm happy they won it."
He made sure to reach out to his former teammates. Barrett called members of the Knicks to congratulate them after they clinched the championship. "I still have friends over there," he said. "I've called and checked on the guys, said congrats."
His contributions were acknowledged during the victory celebrations. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave a shout-out to Barrett and Immanuel Quickley at the Knicks' rally, honoring players who helped the franchise's ascent.
The Knicks selected Barrett with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He was a central part of the team's early turnaround. Barrett started 297 regular-season games for New York. He reached the playoffs three times and helped the Knicks win their first postseason series in a decade back in 2023.
Six months later, New York traded Barrett and Quickley to Toronto for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. That move proved vital for both teams. Anunoby supplied the versatile defense and efficient scoring that became essential to New York's championship run. The Knicks' recent form shows a team still riding high, with a 4W-0D-1L record in their last five games and currently on a two-game winning streak.
Barrett returned home to Canada and received a larger offensive role with the Raptors. The trade delivered something meaningful to both franchises.
Barrett's reaction wasn't purely sentimental. The Knicks' championship showed what can happen when years of progress are followed by an aggressive, win-now move. Toronto has since made a similar push by reacquiring Kawhi Leonard in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard now joins Barrett, Quickley and Scottie Barnes on a roster whose timeline changed overnight. The move sent a clear message after Toronto's first-round exit. The Raptors are no longer content simply developing their young core.
Barrett made it clear that congratulating his former teammates didn't lessen his own ambition. "I'm very happy for them," Barrett said, "but hoping to bring some of that success over here." With Leonard back, that goal feels much more immediate. The Knicks' title may have stung at first, but it also gave Barrett and the Raptors a new target.
The Knicks' path to the title was a tough series, decided by narrow margins. Key results included a 107-106 win on June 11 and a 111-115 loss on June 9. They also secured critical victories in San Antonio, winning 105-104 on June 6 and 105-95 on June 4, before rolling past the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 on May 26 in the previous round.
