Los Angeles Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari has had an unforgettable 24 hours including a touching exchange with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry on Instagram.
First, Olivari shared a post, which Curry commented on.
View this post on Instagram
Later, Curry shared his own post, and Olivari commented on that one.
View this post on Instagram
On Friday, Olivari had a strong preseason performance against the Warriors. He dropped 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists while shooting 8-for-16 from the field and 5-for-9 from deep.
After the game, Olivari got a chance to speak with Curry, his favorite player ever. He then got emotional while speaking to the media about it.
Quincy Olivari got emotional after meeting Steph Curry:
"I liked him since I was in 6th grade… that's my favorite player ever… the first thing he told me was 'I'm a big fan of your game'… I had his jersey, he signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey."
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/5F1QiPXe18
— NBA (@NBA) October 19, 2024
Quincy Olivari showed Steph Curry this video after the game and then walked out of the arena with a pair of Steph’s autographed shoes.
Olivari: “I used to sleep under that jersey” pic.twitter.com/zaKCU9TvSq
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 19, 2024
As if that wasn’t enough, Olivari landed a two-way deal with the Lakers on Saturday, an opportunity that he might’ve sealed with his performance against the Warriors the day before.
BREAKING: The Lakers are signing Quincy Olivari to a two-way deal, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/hK9nIzNaQ9
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 19, 2024
Olivari took to social media and reacted to his two-way deal.
God, thank u so much #41 https://t.co/loobzYZvXv
— Quincy Olivari (@quincyolivari) October 19, 2024
— Quincy Olivari (@quincyolivari) October 19, 2024
The 23-year-old has likely gained countless fans over the past 24 hours, and he’s now going to get a chance to show the Lakers what he’s all about.
In college, Olivari was an impressive player, particularly from beyond the arc. In his final collegiate season, which came at Xavier University, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range.
He was even a volume shooter from 3, averaging 7.6 attempts per game from deep. His shooting abilities — along with the rest of his skill set — could really help the Lakers in certain situations this season.
Olivari will be an easy player to root for in Los Angeles, and with any luck, he’ll show the Lakers that they made the right decision by rolling the dice on him.
L.A. will open its regular season in just a few days, as an exciting matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves is set for Oct. 22 as part of the league’s opening night.
