Knicks’ Player RJ Barrett Shines for Canada at Olympic Qualifier
Having earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Tulane University, Geoffrey “Geoff” J. Block is an experienced investment executive who manages a family holding company headquartered in Bluffton, South Carolina. Geoff Block also supports local nonprofits such as Lowcountry Strong and Hungry Heart. Outside of his professional and philanthropic pursuits, he enjoys following the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) New York Knicks.
Knicks wingman RJ Barrett excelled for Canada at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July, but his home country came up short in efforts to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Needing to win the tournament to advance to the Olympics, Canada suffered a disappointing 103–101 overtime loss to Czech Republic in the tournament semi-finals after Thomas Satoransky banked in the game-winning bucket with 1.8 seconds left on the clock.
Barrett recorded a team-high of 23 points and six assists in the loss and played a crucial role in getting the game to overtime. With Canada trailing by nine points and less than 45 seconds remaining in regulation, Barrett hit a step-back three-pointer that cut the deficit to six points and started a 9–0 run. He also made several big plays in overtime.
The 21-year-old native of Toronto, Ontario, finished the tournament with an average of 20.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. He averaged 17.6 points, three assists, and 5.8 rebounds through 72 regular season games with the Knicks in 2020–21.
