R.J. Barrett played alongside Zion Williamson in his lone season at Duke. Both players went into the season as the top-2 high school players and left Duke as surefire top-5 picks.
While Williamson will almost certainly be taken with the first pick in the summer’s draft, Barrett believes that he is the better player — as he should.
Barrett joined ESPN’s Get Up! on Tuesday, and he was asked that somewhat unfair question: “Do you believe you’re the best player in this draft?”
In Barrett’s credit, though, he didn’t shy away from the question and gave a solid answer — even if we all agree that Zion is better.
Barrett said:
“Of course, I believe in myself. I believe in my abilities. Who doesn’t think that they’re the best? I’ve put in the work and time just like everybody else. I do believe that I’m the best player.”
Let’s be real — Barrett wasn’t going to say anything else. He’s trying to sell himself to an NBA team, and he had to have that kind of belief in himself.
Mike Greenberg followed up and asked about Barrett’s one-on-one battles with Williamson at Duke. Barrett wouldn’t say that either player won the series, claiming that they were pretty split.
C’mon, R.J. You need to say you won every single time.
