On Sept. 26, 2024, the Philadelphia 76ers signed guard Lester Quinones to a two-way deal after a summer of rumored interest by Philadelphia. Ahead of the start of the Sixers’ season, Quinones sat down with Philly Sports Network to discuss his arrival in Philadelphia, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey and Steph Curry, and more.
“It feels great, man,” Quinones said when asked how it felt to be a Sixer, “Being with this team through the preseason, a little bit of the summer, just all the excitement that’s built up. It just feels great for it to be opening night. Coming out through camp and through preseason, just being around guys more, them seeing what I’m able to do, [Nurse] seeing what I’m able to do. I still feel like it’s pretty early. I have way more that I can show, but just stacking it day by day, getting one percent better every day, and just waiting for my opportunity.”
Lester had dropped a Tyrese Maxey bar, unknowingly as it turned out. I asked him about that and about Maxey’s impact and the influence the young star has had on him.
“He’s been great. I kind of knew [Maxey] a little bit back in high school, we were in the same class, so to be back and playing with him now is just great. I actually didn’t know that was his quote; [it] just kind of came to my head, but yeah, it’s just been great with him. [I was] shooting with him a couple of days last week. He’s just great. He’s a young guy, so he’s like a young guy who’s a leader, kind of like a young vet. He’s very vocal. Great point guard. Everybody knows the talent he has on offense, so that’s just a great guy to be around on and off the court.”
Before heading to Philadelphia, Quinones spent his previous time in the league with the Golden State Warriors, playing alongside stars like Steph Curry. While they’re games are not inherently similar on the court, I asked Quinones about what similarities he did see between the two stars.
“The work ethic, man,” Quinones said. “Seeing Tyrese, he’s in the gym every single morning. [When] we have a shoot around, he’s the first guy on the court getting shots up. We have practice. He gets his shots up early. So, just the professionalism out of both of them. That’s what the main point is, and that’s what you need with teams, with guys where their point guards are, maybe their leaders. So like I said, yeah, their work ethics are pretty similar. And like I said, [Maxey] is pretty vocal, and Steph [Curry] was vocal as well. So I can see that being pretty comparable.”
Of course, spending the time he did with Curry and another of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Klay Thompson, taught Quinones much as well. On what kind of an impact the Splash Brothers had on his career, Quinons had much positive to say.
“[A] huge impact, a great impact,” Quinones said. “Almost every practice, I tried to shoot with them as much as I can, even working out with Klay a couple times, I was just working out with him back in New York a couple weeks ago, I always was trying to get in the gym as much as I can with them. Those two guys are kind of the reason I really picked up the ball. So, modeling my game after Steph and Klay, I wore 30 in high school because of Steph, and I wore 11 in college because of Klay.”
“To actually get there and be a part of the team for a couple years and really see [up close], I feel like I took full advantage of it. I definitely saw the improvement in my footwork and my shot-making ability, just the type of shots, and just the repetition and them just teaching me over and over to just kind of be a robot, basically. And like I said, I was just always like, like, not even a fly on the wall. I made it obvious that I was just watching everything that they were doing, or every move every second. So it was just amazing.”
As a two-way player, Quinones will spend his season split between the Sixers, and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. When asked about making the most of the opportunities that will come his way, Quinones was focused on one thing, work.
“I just kind of go out there and hoop. I’m definitely a worker, one of the hardest working guys in the league. Just letting my confidence come from the work that I put in, going in, like I said, shouting out [Tyrese Maxey] for getting in there, I’m right in there with him in the morning, every morning.”
“I go back at night. I feel like that’s what kind of builds it. Just knowing that I’m in the gym, nobody else in there, getting better and getting my shots up once game time comes, I just already understand that the work is just going to show. So, just staying consistent with the work, and I just feel like everything’s going to fall into place once I get my opportunity.”
There’s likely still many fans in Philly who are unfamiliar with Quinones, as they likely are with the many other new additions this season. Quinones himself spoke on why fans show know about the now 24-year-old guard.
“Definitely the energy. Like I said, if I don’t get in the game, you’re still going to know I’m here. I’m gonna be up every play, enthusiastic, best teammate out there, just waiting for my opportunity to come. I definitely feel like I can help this team. [I] bring shooting, I’m pretty versatile, defense on the ball, defense off the ball.”
“[There’s] a lot of things that I can bring to the team. It’s just figuring out what coach Nurse wants me to go out there and do so like I said, just only thing I could do right now is just stay ready, and whenever my number is called, just be ready to go out there and do, like I said what the work has shown, I’ve been working.”
