Lakers Bench Was So Pumped After Fan Drilled Half-Court Shot for $100,000

Lakers players were so excited when a fan hit a half-court shot to win $100,000.
Lakers Bench Was So Pumped After Fan Drilled Half-Court Shot for $100,000
Lakers Bench Was So Pumped After Fan Drilled Half-Court Shot for $100,000 /
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie had six points and four rebounds off the bench in the team’s win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. The second-year player out of Michigan State has a salary of $1.7 million, which means each game check is worth about $20,000. One Lakers fan went home after the game with a check worth five times that much. 

Before the start of the fourth quarter, 34-year-old Fidel Olmos of Redlands, Calif., stepped out on the court for a simple contest: hit a half-court shot, win $100,000. Olmos fired and nailed the shot beautifully. 

The six-figure shot sent the arena into a frenzy. Even the Lakers players on the bench were stunned by it. The best reaction was pure shock on the face of D’Angelo Russell

Olmos is the first Lakers fan in nearly a year to win the half-court shot contest. The last winner came on Jan. 18, 2023. Olmos is the 15th winner in the history of the contest, which began during the ’06–07 season. 


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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).