Kelly Olynyk

Kelly Tyler Olynyk (/oʊˈlɪnɪk/ oh-LIN-ik; born April 19, 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the captain of the Canada men's national basketball team. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, where he earned All-American honors in 2013. After forgoing his senior season, Olynyk was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft before being immediately traded to the Boston Celtics. In July 2017, he signed with the Miami Heat, where he helped the team reach the 2020 NBA Finals. He has also played for the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, and the San Antonio Spurs.

Olynyk was born on April 19, 1991, in Toronto, Ontario, where he began playing basketball at an early age. Alongside future NBA player Cory Joseph, he played for the Scarborough Blues, a rep basketball team that rarely lost from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. One defeat came against rival Toronto 5-0, a rep team from the city's west end led by Stephen Curry. Olynyk moved with his family to Kamloops, British Columbia, when he was in seventh grade.

Olynyk did not attend a high school or prep school in the United States; instead, he stayed home at South Kamloops Secondary School. He gained exposure to U.S. competition and coaches by playing on provincial teams, competing in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and non-AAU tournaments in the U.S., and representing the Canadian junior national team. Olynyk developed as a point guard, continuing to play that position even after growing from 6'3" (1.90 m) to 6'10" (2.08 m) in grade 11. He was heavily recruited out of high school by programs likes Syracuse, Providence, and North Carolina State. Ultimately, he chose Gonzaga, in part so he could play closer to home.

Olynyk was named Basketball BC's Outstanding High School Player of the Year in his senior season, leading his South Kamloops Titans to a 36–2 record and a third-place finish at the BC AAA High School Boys' Basketball Championships.

Olynyk also played quarterback for the Titans and broke his arm during a playoff game in 2007.

Olynyk played college basketball at Gonzaga from 2009 to 2013. He was mostly a bench player for the Bulldogs in his freshman and sophomore years, averaging around 12 to 13 minutes per game. In order to improve his game and get stronger, Gonzaga and Olynyk agreed that he would redshirt his junior year (2011–12), meaning he would practice with the team, but not play.

Olynyk returned to the Bulldogs lineup for the first game of the 2012–13 season, and had a great season, being selected as a Consensus First-Team All-American, as well as to the 2012–13 Academic All-America first team. Following the 2012–13 season he opted for the NBA draft, thereby forgoing his senior year of eligibility (though by that time he had already received his bachelor's degree in accounting).

In a draft-night swap, Olynyk was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft and then traded to the Boston Celtics for the rights to Lucas Nogueira and two future second round picks. On July 7, 2013, Olynyk signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics. Olynyk was selected alongside teammate Jared Sullinger on Team Webber for the 2014 Rising Stars Challenge. After averaging 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 70 games in 2013–14, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team.