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Canadian rapper Drake's six-year-old son, Adonis Graham, has released his debut single, where Toronto Raptors rookie Gradey Dick makes a cameo appearance.
The Raptors drafted swingman Dick out of Kansas with the 13th pick in the 2023 draft. The Raptors are hoping that he can develop alongside Scottie Barnes to help re-establish the team as a consistent playoff threat and a championship contender.
The 19-year-old lottery pick has been warmly welcomed by Raptors fans who hope to see him develop into a key building block. In fact, even Drake has welcomed the rookie by following him on Instagram and sending him a DM.
The warm welcome from Drake does not stop there. Dick also features in Drake's son Adonis Graham's music video of his debut single. The single, called "My Man Freestyle" features the six-year-old Graham and a bunch of other children playing basketball.
Both the Raptors rookie Dick and Drake feature briefly in the video. Drake, Adonis and Gradey are seen in a shot sitting in front of a backdrop similar to what teams use in post-game press conferences.
With a friendship developing between Drake and Toronto Raptors rookie Gradey Dick, this might not be the last time we see the young hooper star in a music video.
Who is Gradey Dick? A look into Raptors rookie's basketball career
Gradey Dick started to attract the attention of fans when he was in high school. He played for the Wichita Collegiate School for two years, where he averaged 20 points per game. Later, he transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy, where he finished high school.
Dick played in the McDonald's All-American Game and also earned the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in 2022.
As a five-star recruit, he received scholarship offers from several colleges, including Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas. Eventually, Dick chose to commit to Kansas and become a Jayhawk.
During his lone season with them, Dick played 36 games, starting in each outing. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He was an efficient scorer, making 44% of his shots from the field, 40% from downtown and 85% from the free throw line.
Aside from his stellar performance on offense, he also displayed his two-way asset. Dick averaged 1.5 steals per game, which increased his value.
During the NBA's annual Summer League, he struggled on debut, only scoring ten points on a 3-12 shooting clip against the Chicago Bulls. However, he showed off his defensive abilities, as he came away with three steals. He struggled once again in the next game, scoring only 11 points on 5-13 shooting.
He finally redeemed himself in the Raptors' fourth game of the Summer League against the Detroit Pistons. Dick scored 22 points and shot 8-19 and also tallied seven rebounds and three assists.
He followed up his stellar performance against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 21 points, grabbing five rebounds and nabbing two steals. He also shot 8-16 from the field and 3-5 from downtown.
Based on Gradey Dick's college and Summer League performances, the Toronto Raptors will hope that he can develop as a formidable two-way talent.
