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Lakers Reward Quincy Olivari With Two-Way Contract Shortly After Heartwarming Interview

The Lakers undrafted rookie has experienced a life-changing 24 hours.

Tom Dierberger

Olivari scored 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting in the Lakers' preseason loss.
Olivari scored 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting in the Lakers' preseason loss. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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It's not an exaggeration to state that Quincy Olivari's life has significantly changed over the last 24 hours.

One day after Olivari starred in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason finale, the team announced Saturday that it signed Olivari to a two-way contract for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

The former collegiate star at Rice and Xavier reacted to the news with a screenshot from Friday night's game.

While the Golden State Warriors opted to play most key players Friday night, Lakers coach JJ Redick rested his normal rotation, which opened an opportunity for rookies like the undrafted Olivari and second-round pick Bronny James to see significant run on the floor.

In a team-high 39 minutes, Olivari scored 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two assists in the Lakers' 132–74 preseason loss at Chase Center. He also caught the eye of one of his childhood heroes in Steph Curry, who watched the game from the Warriors' bench.

Olivari went viral Friday night for his emotional reaction to his postgame conversation with Curry.

"I don't even know what to say, man," Olivari said while tearing up. "That's my favorite player ever. The first thing he told me was, 'I'm a big fan of your game.' And truth be told, I'm a big fan of him."

Olivari is one of the Lakers' three two-way contracts this season alongside Armel Traeore and Christian Koloko.

Los Angeles is set to open the regular season Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the South Bay Lakers will take the court Nov. 9 for their season-opener against the Salt Lake City Stars.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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