CASTROL RISING STARS POSTGAME

February 14, 2025

Gradey Dick

Team T

Press Conference

GRADEY DICK: I'm super grateful. It's a blessing to be here during this weekend. It's cool to see personal achievements every once in a while, and to do it with my family and everyone here from the Raptors. It takes a bunch of people to help, but it's a blessing.

Q. How special was it to be with your mom and family here and walking through the city and knowing that one of these events you were going to be a part of?

GRADEY DICK: It's crazy. I mean, I remember before the season, really since I started playing basketball, talking about weekends like this, looking up to the Dunk Contest and all that stuff and trying to recreate them with my brothers in the backyard and stuff like that. Yeah, to do this with them and be out here and getting to go through all the activities and everything like that, it's so fun. I can't say enough.

Q. I know the weekend is just beginning, but was there anyone that you connected with that you were like, I wanted to talk with them already this weekend? Is there anyone you're looking forward to connecting with this weekend?

GRADEY DICK: As in other players, it's just cool to be on the same team as guys that obviously I won't be with during the season. But getting to play with them and some guys I played with in high school, with and against them in different tournaments and camps and stuff like that.

Really, I'm just excited to see the coaches and stuff walking around. Chris Mullin, a shooter like that, being able to meet him finally after the game. I'm looking forward to trying to run into him again. Stuff like that, whereas you have all the crazy basketball people here this weekend.

Q. The significance of a weekend like this, you've gotten a little bit of a taste, can it be on your list of must-do’s in the future, maybe to be back on a weekend like this and maybe as an All-Star?

GRADEY DICK: Yeah, it's one of those things where you don't really focus on it. You just let your game kind of talk for itself. But this was obviously one of the things before the season I had as a goal for a personal type thing, and I feel like I've talked about it a lot this weekend already.

One thing I do with my dad, I write stuff on paper, my goals and stuff like that. This was one of them. It's not necessarily I'm chasing this, it's more I'm just trying to play great and trying to help my team win, and when these things come along and come with it, it's a blessing.

Q. What did you think of the format?

GRADEY DICK: It's different. Obviously, this is my first time doing it, first time experiencing this weekend, but at the same time, it's cool. To have the chance -- not anymore, but to have the chance of playing the last day against All-Stars is pretty new. I think it's going to be fun and bring a lot of attention. Obviously, I'm looking forward to watching that.