TORONTO – There was no hiding A.J. Lawson’s smile when Scotiabank Area in-game host Mark Robust introduced his title as a part of the Toronto Raptors’ beginning lineup.
The hometown boy had lastly arrived.
Lawson made his first-ever NBA begin in Toronto’s 118-109 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday, validation after an extended journey to the highest males’s basketball league on this planet. The 24-year-old guard completed with six factors, three rebounds and an help in 26:35 minutes of play, however he was nonetheless smiling within the Raptors locker-room post-game.
“It felt superb. I imply, we acquired the win. I’m tremendous completely happy about that,” stated Lawson. “Bought to listen to my title introduced for the primary time as an NBA starter.
“It was a blessing. It’s all God’s work proper there.”
Lawson performed NCAA basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks however went undrafted within the 2021 NBA Draft.
He signed with the School Park Skyhawks, the minor league membership for the Atlanta Hawks, in 2022. He then performed a season with the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Guelph Nighthawks that summer season, a call that he stated put him on a path to the NBA as a result of it acquired him in form to hitch the Dallas Mavericks’ summer season league crew.
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Lawson averaged 3.4 factors, 1.2 rebounds and seven.4 minutes of play in 57 profession NBA video games with Dallas and the Minnesota Timberwolves over the past two seasons.
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Throughout this span, he additionally averaged 21.1 factors, 6.6 rebounds and 34.1 minutes in seven video games with the Texas Legends within the 2023-24 G League season and 20 factors, 7.4 rebounds and 31.9 minutes in 22 video games with the Legends, Iowa Wolves and School Park within the 2022-23 marketing campaign.
The six-foot-six, 185-pound Lawson averaged 24 factors, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 35.1 minutes in 11 video games (all begins) this season with the Lengthy Island Nets, the G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, earlier than signing a two-way take care of the Raptors and their Mississauga, Ont., based mostly G-League affiliate Raptors 905.
Lawson, from close by Brampton, Ont., stated that it “means every little thing” that he made his first-ever NBA begin in Toronto.
“As a result of my dad and mom acquired to see. My fam, pals, family members. It’s superb,” he stated. “I do know, if I verify my telephone proper now, they’re most likely all sending me snaps and movies concerning the begin.”
Lawson performed alongside Immanuel Quickley in Toronto’s backcourt. Quickley had a season-high 34 factors within the win and stated that Lawson performed with confidence.
“He was 2-for-13 however you’ll by no means comprehend it from how exhausting he performs on defence,” stated Quickley. “He doesn’t let miss photographs have an effect on him and I like that. Once you shoot, whenever you’re capturing and lacking, preserve capturing, as a result of they gotta finally fall.
“His vitality, his mindset, that’s one thing that we want. And I admire him. We admire him.”
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic rested RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont. — a childhood good friend of Lawson’s — and Jakob Poeltl, creating the opening within the lineup for Lawson’s begin.
Quickley and ahead Scottie Barnes are anticipated to be rested when Toronto hosts the Washington Wizards on Saturday night time, giving Lawson one other probability to begin.
This time, nonetheless, his dad and mom would possibly keep away from the drive in from Brampton.
“They like to observe it from residence, as a result of the visitors (to) downtown is fairly dangerous,” he laughed. “They don’t actually just like the visitors, however as soon as I advised them I acquired to begin, they stated that they’d come. They pulled up and supported me, so I’m tremendous completely happy.
“I’m going to go speak to them proper now, see how they really feel. We acquired the win, so I’m tremendous completely happy about that.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 7, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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