Everything you can ask of someone like Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari is to be ready, not to run away when the opportunity to do something big comes along, and to take the opportunity when he's ready to take it.
It happened on Thursday night in Milwaukee, when he launched a 20-0 run and gave victory to the Lakers and JJ Redick won his first preseason victory, but it wasn't the first time. By the time the Lakers started their third preseason game, the undrafted player who signed in training camp had already determined that he wasn't going to let a single moment pass before his eyes.
That's why he briefly gained a bit of internet fame during Media Day.
Before Olivari's big fourth quarter on Thursday, when he scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and had two assists during a 9-minute, 24-second shift, he had already caught the attention of Lakers fans.
During Bronny James' interview with ESPN, Olivari stood next to LeBron James in the background of the shot. He grabbed his phone, handed it to an employee and posed for a photo with the NBA's all-time leading scorer while followers wondered who exactly was wearing the Lakers' No. 41 jersey.
After all, Olivari is on an “Exhibit 10” contract with the Lakers, a non-guaranteed training camp contract that can be converted to a standard minimum contract. A more likely outcome in these scenarios is that the player will receive the bonus if he remains with the organization's G-League team for at least 60 days.
A clip of Bronny James interviewing LeBron James and Olivari in the background has been shared with more than 43.8 million users on SportsCenter's X account.
“Did 41 just ask LeBron for a selfie?” – wondered another.
Olivari posted a photo with James on his Instagram page with the caption, “Who's number 41.”
His friends made sure that Olivari, who played four years at Rice and then a fifth season at Xavier, saw all the jokes – his favorites were the ones that compared him to a typical make-up player in basketball video games.
“They started talking about, oh, this is 'My Player.' …I just cried with laughter. And my homie texted me and said, “You gotta use his marketing.” I didn't have any photos from media day yet, but I took a photo with LeBron and said, “I'll just post it.”
“And I used the caption: 'Who's number 41?' And that was my mantra.”
Lakers fans now know a little more.
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He was a priority for the team in undrafted free agency, and South Bay Lakers general manager Nick Mazzella called Olivari after the first day of the draft to recruit him.
“It was a pretty easy decision to just go there because they, they wanted me, so it already crushed me,” Olivari said.
The Lakers' roster is currently full with three two-way spots on the team, although one of them can be vacated without causing any salary cap complications – which is the clearest path for Olivari to land a job with the organization outside of the G-League.
On Thursday, Olivari's fourth-quarter spark against the Bucks sent the Lakers benching to the floor. His defense resulted in losses all over the pitch. He made numerous three-point shots and attacked the rim despite his 6-foot-3 frame.
Read more: Lakers Newsletter: All these preseason away games seem unnecessary
“He has an infectious spirit and soul,” Redick said. “It's not like he's some super talkative, loud guy. But he's just doing well. It is done with intention. His work ethic is really high. And I think people respond to that.
“And when you have someone who cares, who is a good teammate, who does everything right, and then he comes into the game and with a bloody mouth he takes over the entire pitch, changing the whole dynamic for us as a team, then it's easy to do that respond as a team member and as a coaching staff. And I thought he just lit a fire for us.
His passion for basketball carried over after the game, when Olivari failed to fully hold back his tears during an on-court radio interview.
“I take this game very seriously,” Redick said. “He's a player who, and I'm talking about the care factor, is a player who cares about doing everything the right way and wants to realize whatever vision you give him. I'm thrilled he's on our show, I really am. We rate him very highly as a coaching staff.”
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So did his teammates.
Late Thursday evening, the Lakers flew back to Los Angeles. It's LeBron James' turn to add some fuel to Olivari's internet legend.
“Yeeaaahhhhhh Q!!” – he wrote on Instagram. “They know who 41 is now.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
