For Raptors guard A.J. Lawson, joy is hanging out with his pup, Nine | Canada Voices

When Raptors shooting guard A.J. Lawson finishes a long day on the basketball court, he comes home to the happiest-to-see-him roommate: Nine, a stout French bulldog with different coloured eyes, who’s eternally excited for a walk (though he probably won’t get too far).

In this instalment of Joy Diaries, the Brampton, Ont.-born Lawson discusses why having a pup – even a sometimes-naughty one who can’t fly coach – puts a smile on his face.

I’ve got lots of joys in my life, but my favourite thing I do every day that’s not basketball is going home to play with my dog. He’s a French bulldog named Nine. That was my jersey number when I got him, when I was playing for the Dallas Mavericks over two and a half years ago.

How I got Nine is a pretty funny story: I was getting a haircut one day and talking to my barber. I happened to mention how I wanted a Frenchie and he was actually breeding Frenchies at the time. He goes to show me some photos of his dogs and as soon as I saw Nine, I knew he was the one for me. He has a great merle coat and two different coloured eyes – one green and one blue. I knew I had to have him.

Part of that for sure was that I was missing my original dog. He’s a French bulldog-Boston terrier mix named Zero, which was my jersey number when I got him four years ago. That’s a funny story, too: I’m an only child who always begged my parents to get a dog so I wouldn’t be alone. They always said no. They didn’t even want me to get Zero, but when I finally did, they ended up loving him so much that he became their dog. Zero lives with my parents now and we see each other all the time. Nine and Zero are best friends. They’re my boys.

Unlike Zero, Nine can travel. I’ve moved three times with him already. He goes in a carry-on when we fly and thank God I get to fly in first class because I’m so tall. No way we could both fit in economy.

Nine’s got a big personality and likes to act tough, but really he’s a big baby who gets anxious and scared. He’s a great at-home dog when it’s just me or my family or my girl: He’s very chill and just wants to cuddle up. But when he gets around other people, he gets too excited. And if I’m gone too long, he acts up. Once I was gone for seven days of away games and he was so mad he chewed up our shoe rack. But he knew not to touch my shoes, so he just chewed my girl’s side of the rack. She was pretty mad about that, obviously.

But he’s a good boy, really, so even though I try to discipline him sometimes, I can’t stay mad long. Nine always has a big smile on his face – just thinking about it makes me smile. Nine’s always so happy to see me when I get home. Even if I’ve had a bad day, it lifts my spirits to know that no matter what happens, someone’s going to be extra happy to see me when I get home.

Even if I’m tired from basketball and travelling, I try to take him on a walk every day. That’s our time. Compared to most Frenchies, Nine’s in great shape. He’s athletic and toned, but he gets tired easily. He’s a dense little guy, about 25 pounds, and pretty heavy-footed. But he tries his best and usually lasts about 15 to 25 minutes before he gets tired.

Then we’ll go home for a treat. He gets so excited for a little treat or a new toy – small things make him so happy. He reminds me to enjoy little things in life, too. He’s just a dog, really, but he makes me that happy too. I mean, I’m walking around the locker room right now just talking about my dog, smiling on the phone.

As told to Rosemary Counter