Los Angeles Lakers Matt Ryan went from driving for DoorDash to making a game-tying buzzer-beater in a year
Matt Ryan was driving for DoorDash just last year and is now looking like an important piece for the Lakers this year. Ryan went undrafted in the 2020 NBA season and the COVID lockdown affected his basketball career. He then opted to take jobs with low commitment to be free whenever a basketball opportunity popped up.
Matt Ryan played the 2021 Summer League with the Cleveland Cavaliers before getting cut. He then spent the preseason with the Denver Nuggets before signing with their G League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold for the 2021-22 G League season.
Ryan was picked up on a two-way contract by the Boston Celtics halfway through the 2021-22 season. This meant that he might have a chance at NBA minutes. Matt Ryan spent most of his time with the Maine Celtics and played only one game for the Boston Celtics. In this game, he played 5 minutes and scored 3 points.
Ryan was with the Boston Celtics for their Finals run but did not play any minutes. He compared the experience to a scene out of a movie. The Celtics eventually released Matt Ryan this summer and he joined the Los Angeles Lakers for preseason and training camp. Ryan looks like an important piece for the Lakers this season.
If Matt Ryan continues shooting well from behind the arc and plays hard defense, he can carve out a role for himself. The most important thing is that he shows his value as an NBA-level player. He just has to find his role, he doesn’t have to be a star like LeBron James.
Most fans will hope that Ryan stays with the Lakers but that may not happen. The NBA is an extremely unpredictable business and you never know what could happen.
The most important thing will be for Matt Ryan to be on a team where he plays regular minutes. It’ll be interesting to see where Matt Ryan’s NBA journey goes from here.
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