Breaking News; LA Lakers finally sign 23 years old guard Quincy Olivari to two-way contract of $140 from Xavier….
Lakers guard Quincy Olivari (41) drives to the basket against Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski on Friday.
Lakers guard Quincy Olivari (41) drives to the basket against Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski on Friday. Olivari, an undrafted rookie, had 22 points to help him earn a two-way contract with the Lakers. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Rookie Quincy Olivari capped his preseason with the one thing he wanted more than anything else — a job.
The Lakers signed Olivari to a two-way contract Saturday, waiving center Colin Castleton to create a spot for one of the best stories of the team’s preseason.
Olivari, a 6-foot-3 guard from Xavier, had an eventful three weeks with the team. First, he became an unlikely internet star on media day after getting caught on live TV taking a selfie with LeBron James. Then Olivari sparked a 20-0 run in a comeback win in Milwaukee.
And Friday, he again took the internet by storm. Following a 22-point game in his first start, Olivari delivered an emotional postgame interview after interacting Stephen Curry, his childhood idol.
“It’s crazy because I liked him since I was in like sixth grade. It was, I don’t even know what to say, man,” he said as he unsuccessfully fought tears Friday night. “Because like, that’s my favorite player ever. And the first thing he told me was like, ‘I’m a big fan of your game.’ And like, truth be told, I’m a big fan of him. I had his jersey. He signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey.
“And like, I just wanted to be like him so bad. So just to be able to meet him, him be able to have some respect for me and for us to talk in the back — he gave me a pair of his shoes and signed them. Like, that meant the world to me.”
The clip was shared widely on social media Friday night.
On Saturday, Curry posted a photo of him and Olivari to his Instagram account with the caption, “Real as they come.”
Olivari made 8 of 14 shots from three-point range this preseason, tied with James for the best percentage on the team.
Los Angeles Lakers Convert Quincy Olivari to Two-Way Contract
The Los Angeles Lakers have converted guard Quincy Olivari to a two-way contract. Additionally, the team has waived two-way center Colin Castleton and guard Grayson Murphy.
Olivari (6’2″, 201) recently appeared in four preseason games for the Lakers, averaging 8.8 points on 52.2 percent shooting from the floor and 57.1 percent from 3-point range to go with 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.4 minutes. Oct. 18 at Golden State, Olivari recorded 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting from long distance, seven rebounds and two assists in 39 minutes. Sparking a fourth-quarter comeback Oct. 10 at Milwaukee, Olivari posted 11 points as part of a 20-0 Lakers run to steal the victory.
The Georgia native played five collegiate seasons at Xavier (2023-24) and Rice (2019-23). In his lone campaign as a Musketeer, Olivari appeared in 34 games (all starts) and averaged 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes. He finished the season as the Big East’s leader in 3-point field goal percentage (.409) and was voted to the league’s honorable mention team. Olivari played for the Lakers’ 2024 summer league team.
Castleton was signed by the Lakers July 6 and recently appeared in five preseason games. In 16 contests for the Purple and Gold in 2023-24, he averaged 1.5 points in 3.7 minutes. Murphy was signed by the Lakers Oct. 18.
