Quincy Olivari's mother, who delivered Shaquille O'Neal and others' birthday cakes, makes heartfelt appeal after son lands Lakers gig
Undrafted guard Quincy Olivari made a name for himself during the preseason, securing a two-way contract with the LA Lakers. Afterward, his mother, Courtney, shared throwback photos of them with several NBA legends, including Shaquille O'Neal, on TNT's NBA set. She called for Quincy to have a "full-circle moment" recreating the experience as a Laker.
After going undrafted following his five-year college career at Rice and Xavier, Olivari received an Exhibit 10 contract from LA in August. Despite entering training camp as a relative unknown, he was one of the franchise's most consistent offensive players during exhibition play.
Olivari tallied a team-best 22 points, seven rebounds and five 3-pointers, shooting 50.0% during Friday's preseason finale against the Golden State Warriors. The following day, the Lakers converted his training camp deal into a two-way contract, replacing big man Colin Castleton.
Amid Olivari's rise to prominence, his mother, a retired cake artist, detailed their experiences on TNT's NBA set, including the network's hit show "Inside the NBA."
According to Courtney's Sunday post on X/Twitter, she and Quincy used to deliver cakes to the studio for players' birthdays when he was a child. While doing so, they were able to take pictures with multiple league icons, including Charles Barkley, Isiah Thomas, Chris Webber, Baron Davis and O'Neal.
In her tweet, Courtney wholesomely requested for her son to get the chance to join TNT as a player as he commences his NBA career.
"NBA on TNT, now that Quincy Olivari is a Laker, please invite him on the show for a full-circle moment. He used to help me deliver the birthday cakes for the guys!" Courtney tweeted.
O'Neal and the "Inside the NBA" crew are known for having fun and embracing heartwarming storylines. So, perhaps Quincy Olivari will be invited on TNT following one of the Lakers' nationally televised games on the network this season.
Quincy Olivari on making Lakers' roster as two-way player
On Sunday, Quincy Olivari spoke about accomplishing his goal of making LA's regular-season roster. He noted that he was confident in his chances of receiving a two-way contract after his impressive preseason run.
"I was very confident after the Golden State game that I put myself in position to receive a two-way, [I] just didn't know where," Olivari said.
While Olivari expressed gratefulness for the Lakers' decision, he added that he still has work to do.
"Just keep working. This ain't my end goal in life, but it's another milestone that I've completed and accomplished," Olivari said. "... I'm just glad that I was able to come back up here to practice today."
LA tips off its regular-season schedule on Tuesday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Time will tell whether Olivari can continue defying the odds and carve out a consistent role during his rookie campaign.
Across four preseason appearances, he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 3-pointers per game, shooting 52.2% and 57.1% from deep.
Also Read: Lakers' Quincy Olivari stays grounded despite Magic Johnson's shoutout on Twitter - "I'm grinding for something bigger"