Toronto Raptors rookie proves he's an old soul with this off-court hobby

Toronto Raptors rookie Allen Graves might be the youngest player on the team, but he has an old-soul hobby that makes him seem wise beyond his years.

Ahead of Graves' NBA Summer League debut with the Raptors in Las Vegas, he sat down with Es Baraheni from The Athletic to discuss his love for this off-court hobby: reading books.

Graves said he's been a bookworm his entire life, crediting his love for reading to his mother, who instilled the hobby in him at a young age.

"Every day, she made sure we read for 30 minutes before bed," Graves said. "It started off with Magic Tree House, then went to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. All those books, I had to read a lot of them."

Reading isn't a hobby you'd expect from an NBA first-round draft pick nowadays, but the 19-year-old from Ponchatoula, La., said his love for literature continues to grow.

He even has an Instagram page to prove it.

Graves' Instagram account, @allen_studies, is dedicated to his faith, where he's been sharing almost 10-minute Bible scripture videos every day for more than two years.

The Raptors selected the 19-year-old power forward out of Santa Clara University with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft for his defensive ability and physical presence, though Graves told Baraheni that he believes his greatest asset is his mind.

In his first two NBA Summer League games with the Raptors so far, Graves has been hooping. He has averaged 15 points and shot nearly 57 per cent from the field, while making his presence known on the glass, collecting 16 rebounds.

Toronto and Graves will play the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat this week before Summer League wraps up by July 19.