Homecoming: Kelly Olympique and Ochai Agbaji excited to join Toronto Raptors

TORONTO — Kelly didn't need to plug Scotiabank Arena into his GPS before arriving at Olympic's first game as a Toronto Raptor. He grew up working on a team with his parents in the arena.

Olympique, born in Toronto but raised in Kamloops, B.C., was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Raptors along with guard Ochai Agbaji before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday. Olynyk's mother, Arlene, served as the NBA's first female goaltender for the Raptors from 1995 to 2004, and her father, Ken, was the team's assistant coach during the 2002–03 season.

“It's a full-circle moment,” Kelly Olynyk said Friday, finally wearing a Raptors jersey as a player rather than a fan. “It's amazing to look back on your life and everything you've done so far and how monumental the Raptors have been in my life.

“I used to fall asleep at night listening to FAN590 and Chuck Swirsky with a little alarm clock radio. Wearing these shirts and shirts and hats and stuff is indescribable.”

Olynyk, 32, is expected to become a veteran in Toronto's locker room, with his 11 years in the NBA making him one of the most experienced players on a Raptors roster that is now fully ready to rebuild. He hopes he can teach his new teammates how important the Raptors are to the city and to all of Canada.

“The support and love this city, country and everyone has shown me has been incredible throughout my career,” Olynyk said. “Now to come here and give back to them, play in front of them and give everything to this organization is something that makes me really happy to have this opportunity.”

Olynyk averaged 8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season. Agbaji, the 14th pick in the 2022 NBA draft, averaged 5.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists.

Although Agbaji, 23, grew up in Milwaukee, he said this is also a homecoming for him. His father Olofu is friends with Raptors president Masai Ujiri as they both grew up in Nigeria.

Ochai Agbaji said Ujiri told him directly when he called him after the trade.

“He basically said, 'You're in the family now,'” Agbaji said. “I've known him for five or six years and he's very close to my father.

“They grew up together and had that relationship before they were on the team and knew it was good. Being here now and I know it's right. It's like being with family.”

Both players were ready to play the next night against the Houston Rockets, but head coach Darko Rajakovic said they would not.

“We want to be smart about how we get them into the team and into the system and what we try to develop them, how we want to play, how we want to play, how we accelerate — offensively and defensively,” he said. Rajakovic.

Last fall, Olynyk was the captain of the Canadian team that won bronze at the FIBA ​​World Championship. In addition to Agbaji, Olympic is familiar with the game of new Raptors partner RJ Barrett.

Olympic and Barrett, from Mississauga, Ont., are among the core of players who have committed to play for Canada at the Olympics in Paris in July.

“What are the chances of that? We're both going to the same team,” Olynyk said, referring to Barrett's Dec. 30 arrival to the Raptors. “I play with RJ for a month every summer, but now you can get to it. Do it full time and I know what he can do, and now I can push him to be the best he can be.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 9, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, Canadian Press