Lakers Fan Favorite Quincy Olivari Reflects On LA Experience After Being Cut

The former two-way player is now a free agent.

Oct 18, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Quincy Olivari (41) dribbles past Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers two-way point guard Quincy Olivari appears to harbor little bitterness after being released by L.A. brass earlier this week, in a bit of a surprise move.

Read More: Lakers Shockingly Waive Beloved Two-Way Guard

In replacing Olivari, Lakers team vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka opted to bring in even more insurance at the center position, signing free agent former New Orleans Pelicans center Trey Jemison.

Speaking in an interview with NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Olivari was in a reflective mood about his first NBA experience.

Spoke with Lakers fan favorite Quincy Olivari by phone and @quincyolivari tells me that he learned a lot about being a pro during his time as a two-way player with Laker and their G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers.

Here is an excerpt from our interview that will drop on… pic.twitter.com/IAMMhXsKtf

— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) January 16, 2025

“It was great being here, especially being around a storied franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers," Olivari said. "I loved being in the facility every day around legends because I was able to ask questions and learn."

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Los Angeles first brought on Olivari on a training camp deal after he went undrafted out of Xavier this past summer. He quickly impressed the Lakers front office, and was promoted to a two-way deal prior to the start of the 2024-25 season.

"More importantly, I enjoyed being around a legend in LeBron James and seeing how he approaches the game even in preseason games which is remarkable," Olivari remarked. "He’s a guy that shows up every day and he’s literally the blueprint for how a player should approach the game."

As a two-way signing, Olivari spent most of his time with the Lakers' G League affiliate squad in El Segundo, the South Bay Lakers. At the G League level, Olivari impressed immediately.

Across 13 combined Tip-In Tournament and G League regular season games for South Bay, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 17.2 points on .421/.406/.727 shooting splits, 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals a night.

Quincy Olivari Highlights vs Stockton Kings :

41 MIN
24 PTS (Led everyone)
6-13 FG (46%)
3-6 3PT (50%)
5-5 FT (100%)
9 AST
3 REB@quincyolivari continues to prove game after game how well of an efficient scorer he can be. His energy oozed all game long and showed zero fear.… pic.twitter.com/NG0ImHWfwp

— LakeShow Highlights (@LSH_lakeshow) November 18, 2024

That 40.6 percent 3-point conversion rate arrives on 7.8 triple tries per bout, and should entice another team to give the 23-year-old a look this season.

"It’s something I was excited to watch and I’m glad I was able to experience it," Olivari added of his run. "The formula and recipe was right in front of me. I’m going to miss the games and the energy from the fans at South Bay games too. The fan’s support and the energy was unmatched.”

Robinson's full interview with Olivari will be unveiled this coming Tuesday on his website, ScoopB.com.

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