On Sunday evening, the rookie Gradey Dick and the Toronto Raptors hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic in a matchup of two Eastern Conference opponents. In this instance, it was the Magic who got the better of Toronto, as Orlando was led by 29 points from star second-year player Paolo Banchero, and the Raptors eventually fell by a score of 111-96.
After the game, Gradey Dick and fellow rookie Anthony Black of the Magic got together for a jersey exchange, a practice that has become commonplace in NBA circles over recent seasons.
Some users on X, the social media platform, found humor in the alignment of names on the two jerseys when the players lined them up side by side.
Middle school humor aside, Gradey Dick and Anthony Black have both produced solid outputs for their respective franchises so far this year. After receiving scarce playing time to open up his rookie season, Gradey Dick has since carved himself some meaningful minutes in the Toronto rotation, and has responded by turning himself into a reliable three-point shooter and intriguing athlete that the Raptors hoped he would be coming out of Kansas, where he played one season.
Meanwhile, Anthony Black has been in and out of the lineup for an Orlando team that is hoping to lock up a top six seed in the Eastern Conference and officially guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 Bubble Season.
In any case, it’s nice to see the two rookies showing respect.
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