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Warriors' Steph Curry Gifts Lakers Rookie Quincy Olivari Autographed Shoes

Mike Chiari

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Quincy Olivari divulged Friday night that Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry gifted him with a pair of autographed shoes following a preseason game between the teams.

Speaking to reporters after the game (h/t ESPN's Dave McMenamin), Olivari said he showed Curry a video of the future Hall of Famer signing an autograph for him as a kid before adding: "I used to sleep under that jersey. I just wanted to be like him so bad. So just to be able to meet him, him be able to have some respect for me and for us to talk in the back—he gave me a pair of his shoes and signed them. Like, that meant the world to me."

Olivari and Curry later shared a wholesome exchange on Instagram, which included a photo of a younger Olivari wearing Curry's jersey:

In what was the final preseason game for both teams, Golden State cruised to a 132-74 victory, giving the Dubs a perfect 6-0 preseason record.

Olivari, who is 23 years old, was 8 when Curry made his NBA debut in 2009, and he grew up watching Curry develop into arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history.

In addition to being the NBA's all-time leader in three-point field goals made with 3,747, Curry is a 10-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP and one-time NBA Finals MVP.

Olivari spent four seasons at Rice before transferring to Xavier, and he enjoyed his best collegiate season as a senior, averaging 19.1 points and 5.6 rebounds.

Despite that, Olivari went undrafted, but the Lakers signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal, meaning they can assign him to their G League team if he doesn't make the roster.

Per McMenamin, Olivari made it clear after Friday's game that playing in the NBA is his dream, saying:

"I just want a job in the NBA. Like, it's the only thing I've wanted since I was like 5 years old, and my dad always said my biggest gift is my energy. Energy can never be created or destroyed, only transferred. So I bring energy to whatever team wants me, and I bring every group up."

While Curry was held out of Friday's game, preventing Olivari from the opportunity to play against him, the rookie made the most of his opportunity.

He led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two assists, making a strong final impression.

Although all signs point toward Olivari beginning the season in the G League since the Lakers would have to waive a player to make room for him on the active roster, perhaps there is a chance he could earn a call-up by the time the Lakers face the Warriors for the first time during the regular season on Christmas night at 8 p.m. ET.

   

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