Allen Graves got his first NBA action Wednesday night, and the moment came with all the trappings a rookie could hope for: a sold-out Scotiabank Arena, opening-night buzz, and a front-row view of Drake before he even checked into the game.
The Toronto Raptors rookie said Thursday he had spent years watching NBA opening night on television, so finally living it in person against the Chicago Bulls felt different in every possible way.
"Just being able to walk out in front of the Scotiabank fans and hear the national anthem. That was the moment I was just looking around and thinking, 'Man, this is, this is real. I'm here,'" Graves told Offside.
"I watched that moment so many times on TV and everything. Now it's just being able to live it and be out there in that moment; it was an amazing feeling."
Graves made sure his debut counted. The 20-year-old from Ponchatoula, La., scored his first NBA basket on an offensive rebound midway through the second quarter, then finished with five points, five rebounds and three blocks in 19 minutes off the bench. His biggest imprint, though, may have come on the defensive end.
The first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft also had a moment of rookie nerves when he headed to the scorer’s table for the first time. That walk brought him past Toronto’s own Drake, who was back in his courtside seat for the first time in a while.
Graves admitted he briefly considered giving the rapper a high-five, but decided against it.
"I mean, just having the support system we have here in Canada is definitely great, you know, obviously you're running to go check in for the first time, you look to your left, and you see Drake," Graves said.
"It was cool to see him right there."
After the game, Graves said his phone was blowing up with hundreds of texts from family and friends. By Thursday, he still hadn’t gotten through all of them. He’ll get a chance to catch up now as Toronto heads to Washington and Minnesota for a two-game road trip between Friday and Sunday.
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