Back on October 18, the Lakers clashed against the Warriors in their last preseason game, in which rookie Quincy Oliver ended the match with a team-high 22 points and 7 rebounds. Once the contest was over, Stephen Curry approached the talented scorer and told him he liked his game.
Both players then proceded to hug and then take a photograph together. A few moments later, the first-year athlete was interviewed and he found himself crying with his voice cracking when he was asked about his special encounter with the four-time NBA champion.
“It’s crazy because I’ve liked him since I was in sixth grade… I don’t even know what to say, man,” young Olivari said while trying to hide his tears. “That’s my favorite player ever. … I had his jersey. He signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey. I just want to be like him so bad.”
Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari, who cried after meeting “hero” Steph Curry, is signing a shoe deal with Curry Brand, per @ShamsCharania 🙌
Full circle moment 🥹 pic.twitter.com/H8uGaiDzyA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2024
A little over a month later, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that the Los Angeles two-way guard is finalizing an endorsement deal with the Curry Brand, which was first launched by the Golden State superstar with Under Armour back in 2020.
This past weekend, his head coach JJ Redick had to turn to some new faces as stars LeBron James and Austin Reaves were out due to health issues in the latest clash against the Trail Blazers. One of those players was Quincy, who made his NBA debut that Sunday evening.
His appearance soon turned out to be memorable, as he started in the second quarter with an impressive three-pointer for his first-ever NBA points. “A lot of prayer, a lot of preparation and a lot of perseverance,” the 23-year-old said when asked about those buckets.
“Meant a lot, especially to have my dad here.” he added. “He was the first person to take me to an NBA game at Phillips Arena, sit up in the 300 section. I used to just say I wanted to be here and to have it here and have him here, hit a three. It meant a lot. It was a great feeling. And obviously I’m glad we won, but I hope it’s three points of 50,000. I dream big, but I’m just happy that I got it in a win.”
After his debut, the young guard admitted he had no idea he would be suiting up for the Lakers until that same morning
It was right at the end of week 7 of the NBA season and Olivari still hadn’t made his well-awaited debut in the big stage. That morning, he said, he woke up with a message that morning suggesting that he should be ready to play against Portland at the Crypto.com Arena.
“I almost wasn’t able to take my nap today. When I woke up this morning at 8 a.m., I woke up to a text saying change of plans, you’re active and I was just up,” Quincy shared. “I was excited. It just felt like the day. And everybody has those feelings where you just feel real confident that something is gonna happen.
He then added: “I prayed twice and I did my usual, I went up and got some shots up in the morning, played the game with my friends at home, ate, took a nap, woke up and unfortunately my Falcons lost. But it’s whatever. Came to the game and listened to my Lil Baby and just went through my routine and it just felt good.”
The 23-year-old has been shining so far in the G League this season, averaging 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists for the South Bay Lakers. Also, he appeared as one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA’s developmental league, dropping in 41.3 percent of his attempts from range.
