Gradey Dick is pleading ignorance.
There was nothing to his now infamous jersey swap with Anthony Black on Sunday night when the Toronto Raptors took on the Orlando Magic. It was merely a traditional post-game sign of respect between two rookies who have known each other for years.
“That's my guy,” Dick said with a smirk following practice Tuesday. “I've been playing with him since or against him and with him around middle school days. So that's been my guy for a long time, and you know guys jersey swap for their boys. So, that’s my friend.”
The video would suggest something a little different.
Black is seen discussing the swap with Dick during a brief post-game chat. Dick at first appears reluctant to take the photo but decides to go along with it at which point Black runs over to grab a photographer to take the photo. The two align themselves properly with Dick holding Black’s jersey on the left and Black to the right holding Dick's jersey.
The photo went viral Sunday evening and was initially shared by the official Orlando Magic social media account on X before it was eventually deleted.
Dick said he doesn’t have any further plans to swap jerseys with anyone as of right now. There, of course, may be some other players who would draw attention the way Black did, but the Raptors’ rookie has nothing up his sleeve right now.
“If I played with him growing up and they're my guys then I'll jersey swap with him,” Dick said. “Nothing more to it.”
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