Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Quincy Olivari’s dream got here true Friday night time.
Olivari, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Lakers this summer time after 5 seasons of faculty basketball, began Los Angeles’s preseason tilt in opposition to the Golden State Warriors on Friday at Chase Middle. Olivari’s childhood hero Steph Curry did not play, however the two gamers chatted after the sport and took an image collectively.
Olivari grew to become emotional whereas recounting his trade with Curry in his postgame press convention.
“I do not even know what to say, man,” Olivari mentioned of his dialog with Curry. “That is my favourite participant ever. The very first thing he instructed me was, ‘I am a giant fan of your recreation.’ And fact be instructed, I am a giant fan of him.
“I had his jersey (rising up). He signed it twice. I used to sleep in that jersey. I simply wished to be like him so dangerous. Simply to have the ability to meet him, him be capable to have some respect for me, and for us to speak within the again—he gave me a pair of his footwear and signed them. That meant the world to me, man. It simply means so much.”
Quincy Olivari received emotional speaking about assembly his idol, Stephen Curry. pic.twitter.com/fnMjI3Mfl1
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 19, 2024
Curry acknowledged Olivari once more later Friday night time on Instagram.
“Pleasure bro,” Curry wrote. “Admire you being an actual one and letting me know the historical past!”
Olivari had a pleasant recreation himself Friday night time, scoring a team-high 22 factors on 8-of-16 capturing with seven rebounds and two assists within the Lakers’ 132–74 loss.
With the preseason now concluded, Los Angeles—which already has the utmost three two-way gamers underneath contract this season—have a troublesome determination to make with Olivari. However it doesn’t matter what occurs, the 23-year-old rookie will all the time have that particular second Friday night time.
