Los Angeles Lakers guard Quincy Olivari led all players with 22 points during their 132-74 loss against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
It was an impressive performance by the undrafted Olivari, who played his college ball with Rice and Xavier, as he looks to earn a spot on the Lakers’ roster. Olivari’s night meant even more to him considering who was watching from the Warriors bench.
Stephen Curry did not play in the game and is Olivari’s favorite player. When Olivari was later asked what it was like to meet and play in front of his idol, he teared up.
Quincy Olivari was excited after meeting Steph Curry:
“I liked him since I was in sixth grade… that’s my favorite player… the first thing he said to me was ‘I’m a big fan of your game’… I had his jersey, he signed it Solía sleep under that shirt.”
—NBA (@NBA) October 19, 2024
“It’s crazy because he’s my favorite player,” Olivari, 23, said. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘I’m a big fan of your game,’ and the truth is, I’m a big fan of his. I had his jersey; he signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey. He had a lot of them. I want to be like him.”
After the game, Olivari posted photos on Instagram that included him posing with Curry on Friday, the signed shoes the four-time NBA champion gave him and one of a younger Olivari wearing a Curry jersey for Christmas.
Olivari also included a video of himself as a kid receiving a signed jersey from the two-time NBA MVP.
Curry commented on Olivari’s post: “My pleasure brother. I appreciate you being real and telling me the story!”
A dream came true for Olivari on Friday night when he met Curry. Next on his list is securing a spot on the NBA roster as the regular season begins Tuesday night.