"Look good, play good": Raptors' Dick ready for second NBA season
When the Toronto Raptors take to the floor tonight to start their season, one of their players will feel a bit of a weight off of his shoulders compared to this time a year ago.
Sixteen months and one day removed from being drafted by Toronto at 13th overall, Gradey Dick feels ready for his sophomore NBA season, with a few less nerves than his rookie campaign.
“I feel like there’s a different feeling of having a year under your belt, knowing what’s going on with the schedule and where to be at, on time and everything like that, and how to get your work in early, where you can kind of use the rest of the day to your advantage,” Dick said in an interview with Daily Hive last week. “I think after talking with the different vets, there’s different things that I kind of take [from each person], different approaches, but at the same time, just knowing what I bring to the team and learning what I need to bring to the team this year.”
Dick suited up for 60 games in his rookie NBA season, dropping 88 three-pointers along the way, but it wasn’t always a smooth process. Dick had multiple G League stints and a two-month stretch from November to January, where he played just eight games while mostly working on his strength and conditioning.
But after a year of travel and new experiences, Dick opted for most of his summer training to be back in Wichita, Kansas, where he grew up.
“A lot of time at home. I feel like that’s been the most fun part about [my offseason. In an 82-game season, you’re away from family. So I feel like as much time as I’m away from Toronto, I tried to be in Kansas,” Dick said. “I made a couple trips, got out to Turks [and Caicos]. That’s one of my favourite spots. But like I said, just as much time as I could be with my family is the most important.”
Dick had the opportunity earlier this month to travel to Montreal for the first time as part of Toronto’s training camp and relished the possibility of playing in front of a new contingent of Raptors fans in a different part of the country.
“The amount of love that they show and throughout the season makes it easier to focus on the grind,” Dick added. “You have the whole country behind your back… It’s been a blessing [to play in Canada].”
But while he’s related well to the fanbase, part of Dick’s “welcome to the NBA” moments have included a few jabs from his boss.
At Toronto’s media day in September, Raptors forward RJ Barrett shared a story of Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic roasting Dick for taking too long in between haircuts and offered up suggestions to help find him a barber in the city.
“He always has something to say, but it’s all out of love,” Dick laughed, noting that he often goes to Toronto-based barber Joshua Diamante, who has several other athlete clients, including Bo Bichette, Andre De Grasse and Dick’s Raptors teammate in Immanuel Quickley. “I’ve got my boy Josh here, and he hooks me up.”
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But that isn’t the only way Dick has been taking care of his appearance.
For the second season in a row, Dick is partnered with Gillette, with Basketball Hall of Fame member and NBA legend Tracy McGrady joining him in a recent ad spot.
Two legends. Three if you count my GilletteLabs razor.#Ad #TheBestYourGameCanGet @Gillette pic.twitter.com/MeY5U1PjDW
— Gradey Dick (@gradey_dick) October 21, 2024
“The big thing is ‘look good, play good,'” Dick said. “Really just clean up, shave everything off. I don’t really have that much to shave, but you know when I do? It’s just clean.”
McGrady called working with Dick a “full-circle moment.”
“Iām proud to pass the torch to a new generation,” the Basketball Hall of Fame member said.
With a clean shave, some words of encouragement from a legend of the game, and a renewed sense of energy, the sky might be the limit for Dick in year 2 in the NBA.
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