In his first ever NBA pre-season, forward Gradey Dick promised himself to put in long hours at the Toronto Raptors鈥� training facilities and do whatever his coaches asked of him.
That dedication quickly paid dividends as it led to him appearing in a music video with famous Toronto rapper Drake.
Dick had returned to the OVO Athletic Centre, the Raptors facility in downtown Toronto, after the team鈥檚 training camp in Vancouver because he had left some things in his locker.
鈥淚 just saw people running around with cameras and I was like 鈥榳hat鈥檚 going on?鈥欌�� said the 19-year-old Dick on Thursday after practice. 鈥淚t was Drake filming a video with his son.
鈥淚 had plans to meet Drake when he came back to Toronto but we happened to just be there randomly but he was like 鈥榟ey, why don鈥檛 you hop in for a little cameo?鈥欌��
Although Drake is in the video, it鈥檚 actually a song by his six-year-old son Adonis called 鈥淢y Man Freestyle.鈥� Dick, Adonis and Drake all sit alongside each other at a news conference podium as Adonis raps.
Dick鈥檚 whirlwind foray into the world of hip-hop happened so quickly his new teammates didn鈥檛 even have time to react to his distinctly Toronto experience of meeting Drake.
鈥淚t was so random that no one really knew what was happening,鈥� laughed Dick.
Aside from rubbing elbows with local celebrities and their kin, Dick is trying to get up to speed with the NBA鈥檚 pace. Dick was drafted by Toronto in the first round, 13th overall, after averaging 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 36 NCAA games with Kansas last season.
鈥淚 think the schedule here calls for a lot more because, obviously, at school there鈥檚 more to juggle,鈥� said Dick. 鈥淗ere it鈥檚 just practice, get your work in, and then you have all day to really kind of utilize for your advantage whether that鈥檚 watch more film, sit down with coach, it鈥檚 just a lot more is asked of you.鈥�
Added Dick with a laugh 鈥淛ust no homework.鈥�
Point guard Dennis Schroeder, who signed with Toronto as a free agent in the off-season, said that Dick is still 鈥渁 little hectic鈥� when he plays, but that he鈥檚 a good guy and already showing his professionalism.
鈥淪till trying to find his ways,鈥� said Schroeder. 鈥淏ut I think we鈥檝e got a good group of guys who are guiding him and trying to teach him and hopefully he鈥檚 going to embrace that role and get better every single day.
鈥淏ut I mean, when I was at 18, 19 and came (to the NBA) I was only one speed too. So, I mean, that鈥檚 the process. You鈥檝e got to go through it and he鈥檚 gonna get it.鈥�
Toronto hosts the Washington Wizards at Scotiabank Arena on Friday in their final game of the pre-season. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said he鈥檚 looking for his team to keep flowing on offence.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going be very important for us in this last game to continue building our habits in transition,鈥� said Rajakovic at the OVO Centre. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e doing a much better job of getting to extreme corners, opening up the floor for each other.
鈥淚 think in the half court, (we鈥檙e looking for) decisiveness and aggressiveness of going downhill and reading the game from there, being able to find layups or finding the wide open man from there.鈥�
READ ALSO:
