After it was revealed yesterday that 6'7" swingman Matt Ryan would indeed make the 2022-23 regular season cut, at least at first, NBA Twitter appeared to be excited for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alum.
After going undrafted out of college in 2020, Ryan had a series of odd jobs while trying to make it at the next level, working as a driver for DoorDash and UberEats for additional income, per Jay King of The Athletic. Most notably, Ryan worked as a cemetery landscaper in Yonkers, NY. Though King notes that Ryan could have pursued a business career using college connections, he took the driving and landscaping gigs for the flexibility they offered, so that he could jump at pro basketball opportunities as they arose. He got his first NBA-adjacent nibble during the 2021-22 season, when he played for the Cavaliers during the 2021 Summer League (the 2020 Summer League was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), for whom he averaged 11.3 points a night and went 13-of-27 from long range.
Ryan suited up for the Nuggets' NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, during the 2021-22 season, and also played for the USA Basketball Men's World Cup qualifying team this summer. He was added as a two-way player for the Finals-bound Boston Celtics in late February this year. He ultimately appeared in just one game for Boston last season, playing for five minutes and going just 1-of-5 from the floor (all three-point attempts).
Now he's a Laker. And, if his Twitter is to be believed, he's pretty darn excited about the gig, having now played for the NBA's two most winningest franchises:
With the Lakers' backcourt potentially missing three rotation players already for the team's opening game Tuesday, Ryan may actually get some run for Los Angeles soon. Whether or not he sticks around long-term is a different story, but for now, Ryan looks poised to make the most of this new opportunity.
Here's hoping "Matty Ice" can help spread the floor for the Lakers' superstar forwards.
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