RJ Barrett isn't worried about the scrutiny that accompanies becoming a Knicks player, pointing out that he already was a media sensation at Duke.
Barrett, 19, was selected by the Knicks with the third overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, having seen former Duke teammate Zion Williamson go to the Pelicans with the No. 1 selection.
New York hasn't won a championship since 1973 and last made the playoffs in 2013, meaning there is significant pressure on the highly rated Barrett to deliver at Madison Square Garden.
But the interest in Duke — with Barrett, Williamson and Cam Reddish on the same team — means the new Knicks star believes he is ready.
"I call New York just a bigger version of Toronto," said Barrett, a native of Canada. "I'm kind of used to it already.
"When it comes to everything on the court with the fan base and everything, I just feel like I went to Duke and we got a lot of attention.
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"Being in New York there's going to be a lot more, but I've just been built this way to handle it. Yeah, I'll be fine."
Barrett is now desperate to get started at MSG.
"I was fortunate enough to play there once this year with Duke," he said. "That was one of the craziest environments I've ever been in.
"I'm a player that plays with a lot of passion, competitiveness and excitement, so to be able to go in a home arena that has such a great fan base like that is going to make the game so much more fun. It's going to be great."