As if there weren’t enough reasons to love RJ Barrett, the New York Knicks rookie is not a fan of posting workout videos to social media.
Social media workout videos are a staple of the NBA offseason, but they’re not for everyone. New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has some thoughts on the common practice amongst NBA players.
And this is why @RjBarrett6 doesn't post workout vids on social media pic.twitter.com/sTFtQAqUCJ
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) August 11, 2019
“I don’t play that game man,” Barrett responded when asked about social media workout videos. “People don’t need to know what I’m doing. My thing is, I’ve never done that my whole life and I’m going to stay true to that. I work out behind the scenes. Nobody knows. You just see it on the court. That’s it.”
Hallelujah.
It’s easy to get lost in the summer vortex of workout videos. Players are looking to strengthen their own personal brand and social media is the perfect place for personal marketing. That’s fine.
The issue is that too many people watch a 30-second clip of a player in an empty gym and start to form opinions based on what they see.
We all remember how “Hoodie Melo” was supposed to be proof that Carmelo Anthony was going to have another superstar season. We’ve even seen fans swear that Joakim Noah was about to be a legitimate three-point threat because he knocked down a few threes in an empty gym.
Whatever. Workout videos are something to fill the void during the quiet part of the NBA offseason. They’re meaningless.
It’s refreshing to hear Barrett say it out loud. None of that stuff really matters. As long as he’s performing under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, everything else will fall into place.
