'Best friends' are together again

Mogbo and Barnes have been pals since Grade 4 in Florida. Now they're teammates in Toronto

- MARK COLLEY

Jonathan Mogbo walks with his mother, Karen, on Friday in Toronto. The Raptors drafted Mogbo with the first pick of the second round.

Jonathan Mogbo first met Scottie Barnes in Grade 4.

Barnes wore a Kobe Bryant jersey and grey Nike Kobe 6s. He was running late for an AAU game and, when he got into the car with Mogbo, he acted tired.

“We’ve been best friends since then,” Mogbo said.

Those best friends are now teammates. The Raptors selected Mogbo with the 31st pick of Wednesday’s draft, reuniting him with his childhood friend from West Palm Beach, Fla. The pair have played together and against each other. They’ve ridden scooters through Toronto together. And now they’ll be doing everything they’ve dreamt of together on the court at Scotiabank Arena.

It’s been a long time coming. Once, in a live stream, Barnes called Mogbo a future Raptor. Mogbo said he had talks with Toronto before the draft and knew it might be coming. “I had a feeling,” he said.