RJ Barrett and Ignas Brazdeikis got their first taste of the New York media on Friday at their introductory news conference with the Knicks.
The first question to the No. 3 overall pick: "Do you have big enough shoulders to carry this franchise?"
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"Carry? I wouldn't say carry," Barrett said with a smile. "This is the biggest stage. I'm excited to be here, I'm excited to play, but I haven't even played a game yet, so why you going to ask me a question like that?"
Welcome to New York, kid.
After drafting Barrett, the Knicks traded up to take Brazdeikis in the second round with the 47th overall pick during Thursday's draft. The two aren't strangers, either, as they played together on the U-19 Canadian national team a few years back.
"We've known each other for so long," Brazdeikis said. "Now being in the position that we're in, you can't write this stuff up."
"Iggy and I worked really well together on the court," Barrett added. "I don't know what it is, but we work really well together."
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When asked about competing against his former Duke teammate Zion Williamson in the upcoming Rookie of the Year race, Barrett said winning the award is a goal for him: "It's going to be a battle, but I'm confident enough that I can get it."
Regardless of how the award voting plays out, with the addition of Barrett and Brazdeikis — plus the Knicks' possible activity on the free-agent market this summer — things are looking up in New York.