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Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes reflects on his viral moment with CTV News Toronto reporter Sean Leathong, saying he was bored and it was not staged.
Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes is reflecting on his viral moment with CTV News Toronto reporter Sean Leathong last week, saying he was simply bored when he was captured on camera reacting to the news of Kawhi Leonard's return to Toronto. The clip, filmed outside the Raptors practice facility at the OVO Athletic Centre on Sept. 25, quickly spread across social media.
Scottie Barnes viral moment details
During the live report on Sept. 25, Leathong was discussing Kawhi Leonard's new multi-year contract with Toronto when Barnes was seen eating lunch and making several exaggerated facial expressions between bites. The clip was widely shared, including by major U.S. media outlets, and the Raptors' official X account joined in on the fun. Barnes later reshared the clip on Instagram.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Barnes said he noticed the camera and decided to hang around while Leathong delivered his report. The two-time all-star said the moment was not planned and that he had no intention of getting in front of the camera.
He said it was not staged at all and that he was bored, to be honest.
Barnes declines interview request
Barnes said he had no interest in actually appearing in the report when Leathong offered to interview him prior to going live. The Raptors forward said he told Leathong to carry on with his report and not worry about him standing in the background.
He recalled telling Leathong to just do his thing and not worry about him back there. Barnes added that he did not want to be on that, did not want to be interviewed, and told Leathong to just do the segment he was going to do.
The two-time all-star was then seen behind Leathong during the live hit, eating lunch and making a series of exaggerated facial expressions as the reporter discussed Leonard's return to Toronto. Barnes said he was actually about to go somewhere.
Interaction quickly goes viral
The interaction quickly spread across social media, with the Raptors' official X account joining in on the fun and Barnes later resharing the clip on Instagram. Barnes and Leathong had previously discussed the moment immediately after the live hit.
Leathong said he asked Barnes if he wanted to do an interview, but Barnes declined and told him he would stay in the background. Looking back on the moment, Barnes appeared pleased with how it turned out.
He said he thought they had a great interaction and that it went pretty viral and pretty well.
Raptors upcoming schedule
The Raptors open their preseason schedule Oct. 3 before beginning the regular season Oct. 21. Barnes, a key player for Toronto, continues to prepare for the upcoming season after the viral moment brought additional attention.
The incident occurred as Leathong was reporting on Kawhi Leonard's new multi-year contract with Toronto. Leonard, who previously played for the Raptors and led them to the 2019 NBA championship, returned to Toronto as a member of the LA Clippers. The news of his contract with Toronto was the subject of Leathong's report.
Barnes, a two-time all-star, remains focused on the season ahead. The Raptors will look to build on their recent performances as they open preseason play on Oct. 3 and tip off the regular season on Oct. 21.
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