Scotty Barnes’ heartfelt message to fans for their endless support
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes he may be one of the dumbest players in the league, but when it comes to the endless support of their fans, he can get pretty serious.
The Raptors ran away with the Philadelphia 76ers116-115, in overtime after Barnes sank the game-winning free throw with 0.8 seconds left on Sunday at Scotiabank Arena.
After the game, the 24-year-old star was asked about the strong support from his fans. He tipped his hat them with a thoughtful message.
“I’ve been here five years. We’ve been losing for about three of those years. They were still loud, they were loud, they were cheering, they were going crazy for us, no matter what,” Barnes said in a video posted by Raptors reporter Omer Osman.
“We know how special this place is. I think everyone knows that. Toronto is super special.”
Scottie Barnes on Raptors crowd showing him love:
“I’ve been here 5 years. We’ve lost about 3 of those years. They were still loud, rowdy, cheering, crazy for us no matter what, except when they beat us by 30.”
“We know how special this place is, I think… pic.twitter.com/8kJMITkv38
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) January 12, 2026
More than 18,000 fans packed the stadium to watch Toronto beat Philadelphia. Barnes finished with a team-high 31 points, along with seven rebounds and eight assists.
The Raptors rallied from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime thanks to Jamal Sheed’s layup.
The 76ers tied the game at 115-115 with 15.6 seconds left on a 3-pointer by VJ Edgecombe. The Raptors went to Barnes on their final possession and were fouled by Kelly Oubre Jr. He made the first free throw before intentionally missing the second.
Toronto liked Barnesnot only with his versatile talent but also with his colorful personality. Some condemned the former All-Star for allegedly not taking the game seriously, but he remained true to himself.
The fans can appreciate that, and Barnes is trying to give back.
2026-01-12 06:05:00
