Growing up in Houston, Texas, Quentin Grimes and his father would cheer for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers due to their love for Kobe Bryant. Two decades later, Grimes is “super excited” to don Purple & Gold colors.
“My dad grew up as a Lakers fan; he dressed me up as a baby as a little Laker, and took me to a Lakers game to play the Rockets back in Houston,” Grimes recalled.
“So, I mean, it all came back a full circle moment — he was super excited when I made that decision in free agency and was able to come here,” added the sixth-year guard.
Quentin Grimes ‘Super Excited’ to Join Lakers
Grimes, who signed a four-year, $60M deal with the Lakers, explained why joining the storied franchise is a childhood dream come true.
“It means a lot to be a Laker,” he admitted.
The 25-year-old plans to win over Lakers fans with his all-around skill set.
“They can expect a do-it-all kinda guy — a scorer, a defender and someone who makes plays off the dribble,” he detailed. “We have really good guys all around this team, so I’m super excited to be here and get to work.”
Grimes, Lakers Ready to Surprise Teams
Besides Grimes, the Lakers onboarded eight new players this season, including Walker Kessler, Kevon Looney Jaden Hardy, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and rookie Cameron Carr. They also re-signed Austin Reaves to a new contract, securing a 1-2 punch with Luka Doncic.
While the Lakers have become considerably younger, more athletic and versatile, they are being written off as a middling team in the West. Oddsmakers have given them the fifth-shortest odds to win the conference and the 12th-shortest odds to win the title. Furthermore, several pundits argue that these new signings will merely help Doncic and Reaves build a highly potent offense, without moving the needle defensively.
Grimes recently sent a bold warning to those critics.
“I feel like we’re going to surprise some people for sure with how good we are and clicking on all cylinders, I think,” Grimes told ESPN’s “Mason & Ireland.”
“Walker (Kessler), you know, is one of the best rim protectors,” Grimes said of one of his new teammates. “I know he only played like four or five games last year, but everybody knows what he does. Nobody wants to go in that paint, 7’2” guy he’s going to block shots. He’s going to give us a definite advantage because people aren’t gonna go in that paint, so we can guard and put pressure on the ball even more knowing we got big Walker down in the paint holding it down,” he added.
Grimes revealed he and the new-look Lakers have already developed chemistry after their recent minicamp.
“We got guys like Collin (Sexton), a dog. (Sandro) Mamu, a dog, already getting out here and getting work in. So, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The Lakers will look to build more chemistry in an upcoming summer minicamp hosted by franchise star Luka Doncic in his home country of Slovenia.
New Lakers Star ‘Super Excited’ to Join Team Due to Kobe Bryant Connection