Raptor’s early arrival spurred by his father
“I kiss the left cheek first, and then the right,” Darrick Martin says. “The Italians are impressed that I am doing that, so I’m pretty sure I’m doing the right thing.”

Martin has had more than a month to perfect the double-cheek greeting. The Raptors backup guard came to Italy a little early for training camp at the invitation of Toronto assistant general manager Maurizio Gherardini. Martin’s plan was to work out with a couple of European club teams — Benetton Treviso and CSKA Moscow — so he would be in top shape when the rest of his teammates arrived in Europe.