Immanuel Quickley's uncle Shawn Hamilton died after he had been with the Toronto Raptors for less than three months.
Around twelve Raptors members went to Hamilton's funeral despite Quickley being new to the team. Quickley will always be grateful for this act of kindness.
Quickley expressed gratitude on Monday for the support. He believes that love is shown through actions, not just words.
He thinks that the Raptors have demonstrated this and appreciates it.
Quickley and RJ Barrett are expected to play when the Raptors face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. They both missed games due to the loss of their loved ones during Toronto's 13-game losing streak.
Quickley missed six games after Hamilton's death on March 20, while Barrett has been absent for nine games following the death of his 19-year-old brother Nathan Barrett on March 14.
Both Quickley and Barrett regarded each other as “brothers” when they were traded from the New York Knicks to Toronto on Dec. 30. Quickley is pleased to potentially return to the court with Barrett and the rest of the team.
He is looking forward to playing with Barrett and the entire team, expressing gratitude for the support he has received since joining the organization.
He sees it as a blessing to be able to play alongside his teammates and is eager for the opportunity.
Injuries have also contributed to Toronto's 13-game losing streak this season.
Several Toronto players, including Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, Ochai Agbaji, Chris Boucher, D.J. Carton, and Jontay Porter, will not play against L.A due to various injuries.
Quickley credits his faith for helping him through the personal and professional challenges he has faced this season.
He expresses deep appreciation for the support he has received and attributes his resilience to his faith in Jesus, hoping to inspire others with his example.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic expressed the team's appreciation for Quickley's return, as he has taken on the starting point guard role since joining the team from the Knicks.
Rajakovic emphasized the importance of team and individual growth and considers Quickley's return to the court a positive development for both him and the team.
Although Toronto (23-51) has been eliminated from the NBA’s post-season, the team's performance in the remaining eight games still carries significance.
The Raptors got their first-round pick in the NBA Draft through a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. If the Raptors move to the seventh or higher spot in the May 12 draft lottery, the pick will go to San Antonio.
Memphis (24-50) might push Toronto out of the lottery if they perform worse than the Raptors in the remaining games. The Grizzlies were ahead of Toronto by one game before their game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
Before the game against the Lakers on Tuesday night, the Raptors have a 37.2% chance of getting a top-four pick in the lottery and a nine-percent chance of getting the first overall pick.
The Canadian Press published this report on April 1, 2024.
Immanuel Quickley's uncle Shawn Hamilton, who was dear to him, passed away when Quickley had been with the Toronto Raptors for less than three months.
