South Kamloops product blooming in South Beach
Olynyk credits his father’s teaching for skills he’s now using to full potential
Kelly Olynyk has lived with haters for a long time.
First, he couldn’t be any good because he was a basketball player from B.C.’s Interior, competing against more polished, wellknown talent.
Next, it was because he was a Canadian, playing at a Division 1 school against more polished, well-known talent.
Then, it was the NBA, and ... you know where this is going.
The crescendo of hate reached its apex when the Kamloops native and then-Boston Celtics forward tangled with Cleveland’s Kevin Love in the 2015 playoffs, leaving the Cavs’ forward with a dislocated shoulder that knocked him from the playoffs.
“Everybody has haters, some more than others,” said the 27-year-old, who was drafted 13th overall by the Celts in the 2013 NBA draft. “Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion, but unfortunately the world we live in today with social media and the ease of access to people, you can attack people, go at them way easier than it was in the past.
“I got a lot of hate, a lot of death threats or whatever (after the Love injury), but it is what it is. You know the person you are, what you stand for, and how you conduct yourself, so that’s all you can do.”
While the hate has been flowing, so has the love. He left Boston as a free agent, beloved by the fan base, when the Celtics put all their chips in the pot to sign Gordon Hayward. Olynyk took his talents to South Beach, where he blossomed as a player, racking up career highs, including points (11.5), rebounds
(5.7), assists (2.7), field-goal percentage (49.7) and three-point percentage (37.9).
In Boston, his role was limited to specific situations; setting screens, rebounding, spot-up shooting — typical grunt work. With Miami, he’s been asked to handle the ball, help facilitate the offence and shoot from a spot or on the move, and from different areas.
His emergence as a dynamic player caught some of his teammates by surprise.
“I knew in Boston that he hit the wide-open three or he would drive left. That’s pretty much all he did. If he drove left, he shot faked. There was really not much else you had seen in his game like you do here right now,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade told the Miami Herald after being traded from Cleveland in February. “Here his whole game has opened up and he’s really good. It’s great to have a guy so unselfish like that. On certain nights, he can go for 30. He gets teammates involved. He’s a no-ego guy.
“(It’s) definitely been a great surprise to be able to get a chance to play with him. He was hurt when I first got here and everyone was like, ‘You’re going to like playing with him,’ and now I see why.”
Wade isn’t the only one to embrace the Canadian in their midst. Fans have rallied behind the sevenfooter with the flowing hair and smooth shot. Olynyk’s four-year, US$50-million, free-agency deal is looking like a steal, but the South Kamloops grad is just as happy that he finally got a chance to showcase his talent.
“When you’re in a city or a job for an extended period of time, you’re kind of put into a mould, a box of who you are, and everyone perceives you as you are,” said Olynyk, who has joined Team Canada for this week’s pair of exhibition games against China ahead of FIBA World Cup qualifying. “When you get that opportunity to branch out and have a new fresh start, you’re able to expand and grow and show other sides of your abilities that you might not have been able to in previous positions. And Miami gave me the chance to show what else I had in my tool box.”
The NBA game has gone leaner, faster and more skilled, gravitating away from the traditional big-man game that dominated for decades since the sports’ inception. Olynyk’s dad, Ken, stressed the importance of ball skills with his son growing up, following the “European” style of play. In his senior year with the Titans he became the first player in the history of B.C. provincials to lead the tournament in scoring (36.5 per game), rebounding (15.5 per game) and assists (7.2 per game), being named MVP even though SoKam finished third.
“I’ve got to credit my dad for seeing into the future on that one,” Olynyk laughed. “I was definitely lucky in that sense, the way my dad taught me the game of basketball. The ideal player was one who could shoot, pass and rebound. That’s definitely the way the game is moving, the more skill players are on the court, the tougher it is to guard. (It’s more important than) just being able to set a screen and rebound.”