"Hangin' Around" with David Grace
He enters the restaurant with a big smile. Almost like he owns the place. He greets the hostess and wait staff by name. He asks one of them about their kids’ soccer team. Once he’s done with pleasantries, he orders his usual: carnitas with a side of Mexican rice and Flan for dessert. He tells me that I have to try it. He insists that I’m gonna love it, so I order the same. Then we grab a seat at his usual table. A few fans ask for autographs and he obliges, but then gently lets them know that he has to do a really important interview before going to Utah. All the while still wearing that big smile. The same smile that’s plastered on billboards across the city of Los Angeles and on the covers of magazines across the country. It’s eerily reminiscent of another Lakers star: Magic Johnson.
David Grace is a nice guy. He’s smiling, posing for pictures with fans, giving away his jersey after games, playing with his son during warmups, doing a special handshake with his girlfriend, Dominique.
“She actually created that back during my freshman year, right before the NCAA tournament,” he said. He smiles, but it’s different. It’s a smile that’s only reserved for and when he’s speaking about Dominique Malloy. “That was all Dom.”
Then the ball is tipped and David Grace turns into a menace for about 30-32 minutes. Draining corner threes, completing fancy passes, and throwing down thunderous dunks. The court has become his playground. While he is undoubtedly the Lakers’ dream, he is every other team’s nightmare.
But one amazing thing about Grace (see what I did there?) is his unselfishness. It’s still a little early to call it, but his star is definitely on the rise in the NBA and if the Lakers win a championship, his status as an NBA superstar will be solidified. He was awarded Rookie of the Month for December and January and he is currently third on the list for Rookie of the Year. Not only is he participating in the Rising Stars Challenge, during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, but he’s participating in the Three-Point contest as well. The pièce de résistance of this All-Star Weekend is that he has been selected to play in his first NBA All-Star game on Sunday. He and Paolo Banchero will be the first rookies selected to play in the All-Star game since Blake Griffin in 2011.
With all of that in mind, and with the culture of today’s NBA, he is still more than willing to put the team first.
“I don’t think I’ve earned the right to not put the team first,” said Grace. “Sure, I’m playing well, but who am I in the grand scheme of things? I play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it gets no bigger in regards to talent. Eight months ago, I was a second round pick expected to be splitting my time between the NBA and the G-League. Three months ago, I was on the verge of being traded and now here we are. I mean, I’ve always considered myself a leader and I can’t lead if I’m not giving my teammates a chance to showcase their talents alongside mine.”
The way he talks and the way he plays are quite the dichotomy. After the Lakers lost Anthony Davis in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he finished the game with a new career high of 37 points. Two nights later, he scored a career high of 38 points in the Lakers’ win over the Bucks.
“I was just following orders,” said Grace. “Bron said he needed me. I told him say less.”
See? Nice guy.
A few nights later, he gave Steph Curry a taste of his own medicine as he did the “Night Night” celebration after drilling a three point shot over him. The moment, of course, went viral.
“When he trolled me after the Miami game, with the whole trademark tweet, being able to do it with him guarding me was pretty cool. Sure, he made it popular, but I’m still working to find some footage of me hitting that celebration in college before he did it in the playoffs.”
See? Also, a menace.
“This game was just my way of letting them know that this wasn’t going to be like opening night,” he said in a post-game interview.
That night, the Lakers not only had to sit and wait for the Warriors to receive their rings, but they suffered a 10 point loss to Golden State thanks to a 33 point performance by Curry. Grace only had 5 points in his NBA debut.
After that win against the Warriors, Grace and Curry swapped jerseys and contact information as well.
“We came to an understanding. It’s all love.”
Los Angeles is a city of stars and a city of dreams. And one thing about the Lakers and their fans, the pressure is always on. It doesn’t matter what type of season they are having, eyes are on the Lake Show. Being tied with the Celtics with 17 championships isn’t enough. There will always be a need for more. More stars. More wins. More rings. Grace seems to revel in it.
“The culture in L.A. is what helped to put me in this position. Coach [Darvin] Ham’s system, my teammates. All of it. Coach [Phil] Handy told me earlier on in the year that I had what it took to be an All-Star. Didn’t think it would happen this soon.”
Despite all of the attention he’s getting, Grace is genuinely happy to talk about his teammates and everything going on around the Lakers organization as whole.
“There’s so much going on in LA besides how well I’m playing. LeBron is about to break the scoring record. We have a chance to break the record for longest win streak. We’ve only lost four games this season. Four! That’s crazy. I’m just loving that I’m a part of it.”
If you ask any of his teammates to describe him, you get a lot of different answers. He’s humble. He’s funny. He’s a team player. He’s competitive. But one descriptor that seemed pretty consistent was that he is dedicated. He’s dedicated to the team. He’s dedicated to his craft. You can see it every time he steps on the floor. There always something new or improved in his game. Being named an All-Star is just one step in his journey.
“I really am just getting started. I have so much more to give. I want to be one of the GOATs: LeBron has four titles. Kobe won five. Jordan won six. Everybody talked about Joe Montana’s six titles and then came Tom Brady. He won seven. I want seven.”
One word that wasn’t used to describe David Grace, but is very prevalent: Ambitious.
sounds like the leagues really taken notice to the rook. Magic Johnson comparison is special.
Hope those lights don't get too bright for him.
