Los Angeles Lakers guard Quincy Olivari led all players with 22 points during a 132-74 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
It was an impressive performance by the undrafted Olivari, who played his collegiate ball at 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 didn’t play in the game and is Olivari’s favorite player. When Olivari was asked afterward what it was like meeting and playing in front of his idol, he was brought to tears.
Quincy Olivari got emotional after meeting Steph Curry:
“I liked him since I was in 6th grade… that’s my favorite player ever… the first thing he told me was ‘I’m a big fan of your game’… I had his jersey, he signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey.”
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“It’s crazy because that’s my favorite player ever,” the 23-year-old Olivari said. “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. I had his jersey; he signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey. I used to want to be like him so badly.”
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 at Christmas.
Olivari also included a video of himself as a child getting a jersey signed by the two-time NBA MVP.
Curry commented on Olivari’s post, writing, “Pleasure bro. Appreciate you being a real one and letting me know the history!”
A dream came true for Olivari on Friday night in meeting Curry. Next on his list is securing a spot on an NBA roster with the regular season beginning Tuesday night.