He hadn't played since March 17 against the Magic, and like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley returned to the field in the Raptors' loss to the Lakers last night.
Author of 20 points, the former Knicks playmaker was mourning the death of his uncle last month, and he spent the last fortnight in Maryland, close to his family.
“Any time you have the chance to come to the gym, work on your game and play the sport you love, you shouldn’t take it for granted” explains Immanuel Quickley. “It feels good to be back in the gym and to be back in Toronto.”
The Raptors closer to the two players
While he only joined the Raptors three months ago, executives made the trip to accompany him to the funeral of his uncle, Shawn Hamilton. Just like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley has not hidden his gratitude to the franchise.
“There were about 10 to 12 people from the Toronto organization who came to my uncle's funeral, and they didn't have to. Love is done with actions, not just words. So it's not just something you say, it's something you do, and they demonstrated that. »
If this mark of attention really affected Quickley, this ordeal especially brought him closer to RJ Barrett. Not content with having been traded together from the Knicks to the Raptors, the two experienced grief together, since RJ Barrett had the pain of losing his little brother, Nathan. More than a brother as the Canadian player explained.
The Raptors remain on 14 consecutive defeats
“During the whole process, we were constantly checking in on each other, and that was very important” testifies the winger. ” I know him since a long time. We've been together for about four years, so it was hard to go through that. But definitely having someone like that to talk to is helpful. »
Even if Toronto's season is already over, the team has united around the two players and the common mission is simple: put an end to this series of 14 consecutive defeats to end this sad season on a good note. note. Even if RJ Barrett will not play tonight, as a precaution following his knee problems.
