Lakers fans waved goodbye to former DoorDash driver Matt Ryan and wished him well after it was revealed the team had waived him.
One of the best NBA fairytales came to an end on Wednesday. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Lakers had waived Matt Ryan, opening up a roster spot ahead of the December 15 trade date.
The 25-year-old from White Plains, New York, played college basketball for Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Chattanooga, but went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ryan joined the Grand Rapids Gold of the G League for the 2021–22 season before signing a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics. He joined the Lakers earlier this year.
His time will be remembered for that clutch shot vs Pelicans
Undoubtedly the biggest moment of his career came against the Pelicans in November. At a time when the Lakers were 1-5, Matt nailed an iconic game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, which the Lakers won.
However, after that moment he fell out of Darvin Ham’s rotation, registering six DNPs in the team’s last eight games. His last outing for the Purple & Gold came against the Spurs when he went 0 for 4 from three-point. However, this season he has shot 38.2 percent from beyond the arc, which may tempt a new team to take a chance on him.
From DoorDash driver to NBA sharpshooter
Matt Ryan’s story captured the NBA fanbase due to his unusual career path.
While he waited for his opportunity in the NBA, Ryan worked as a driver for DoorDash and Uber Eats delivering food, and also worked as a landscaper at a cemetery.
Lakers fans wave goodbye to Matt Ryan
It’s a shame it had to end like this for Ryan on the Lakers, and fans are feeling pretty sad at the news. Lakers fans took to social media to wave goodbye to Matt Ryan and thank him for his epic moment vs the Pelicans:
