Matt Ryan—no, not that Matt Ryan—became the most unlikeliest of heroes for the Lakers on Wednesday night when the bench player made an incredible three-pointer to send the game into overtime against the Pelicans. And after the win, he clearly wasn’t used to the attention he was getting.
“Where’s Bron? I feel like Bron,” Ryan said when several reporters crowded his locker.
Ryan was of course referring to LeBron James, who finished the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. But the moment was all his. Ryan explained that coach Darvin Ham drew up the game-saving shot specifically for him and gushed over the experience.
“For an athlete, regardless of the sport, there’s nothing like having the confidence from the coaching staff and your teammates, and I feel like I have that,” Ryan said. “It’s a great feeling. I don’t know when I earned it.”
Ryan finished the game with 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting in 18 minutes of action. He went undrafted in 2020 out of Chattanooga and worked for DoorDash and UberEats for some extra money. He also worked at a cemetery and coached a grassroots basketball team before getting his next playing opportunity.
He had stints in the Summer League, the G League and the Celtics before he signed with the Lakers in September.
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