R.J. Barrett barreled down the lane against Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish on Sunday for a routine basket to put the Toronto Raptors up 14-9 midway through the first quarter.
As he stumbled toward the bench, Barrett did a double take when he saw ‘Game of Thrones’ star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau sitting in the front row.
Barrett looked away at first before turning his head back in the direction of the man famous for playing Jamie Lannister. “Game of Thrones?” the Raptors star mouthed while pointing at Coster-Waldau. The actor sipped his drink and smiled back at Barrett while others around him chuckled at the interaction.
It’s not unfamiliar for actors to sit courtside at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) to watch Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Famous actor Jack Nicholson has made the venue a second home over the years.
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Barrett’s interaction with Coster-Waldau was the highlight of the night for the hapless Raptors, who fell to 2-9 in the 123-103 defeat.
The 24-year-old Canadien tied for a team-high with 18 points on 5-15 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. The former third-overall pick is having a career season in Toronto, averaging 23.1 points through the team’s first 11 games.
Barrett has been asked to carry a heavy load with 2024 All-Star Scottie Barnes absent and guard Immanuel quickly, only just returning from injury. He’s currently in the second year of a four-year, $107,000,000 extension signed in 2022.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau sat courtside Sunday at the Lakers games (
Image:
Getty Images)
Barrett and Quickly were traded to Toronto in January as part of the trade that sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks.
Austin Reaves was the top scorer for the 6-4 Lakers on the night, connecting on 10 of his 17 shots for 27 points in 33 minutes. The former undrafted free agent is averaging a career-high 18.7 points. this year.
Meanwhile. the scoring struggles continue for LeBron James. The four-time NBA Champion failed to score 20 points once again as his 19 points lowered his scoring average to 23.2 – the lowest mark since his rookie year.
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However, “the King” contributed a game-high 16 assists and a further 10 rebounds in his 35 minutes. He now has 144 career triple-doubles.
The Raptors travel to Milwaukee on Tuesday night to take on the struggling Bucks, while the Lakers will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
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