Ex-Marquette standout O-Max Prosper has learned how to stick in NBA
· Yahoo Sports
Olivier-Maxence Prosper made sure to bring along his Marquette hoodie to wear after his only appearance at Fiserv Forum this season with the Memphis Grizzlies on April 5.
“Once a year, got to rep it at least,” Prosper said after scoring 13 points and in 14 minutes of the Grizzlies’ 131-115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Being back in the building always stirs memories.
“Big East regular-season championship we won in the last game of the regular season,” Prosper said of beating St. John's on March 4, 2023 and cutting down the nets. “Just with the whole group.”
Of course, there was also Prosper’s game-winning tip-in to beat Xavier in that title-winning season.
“That place was rocking,” he said.
Prosper can’t live in the past, however, while still making his way in the NBA. The 6-foot-8 forward has already seen the ups and downs of trying to stick in the league. He was a first-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, but was waived in August 2025.
Prosper landed with the Grizzlies on a two-way contract, and he quickly went to work trying impress his new team.
“Very humble kid,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “Very intelligent. Hard worker.
“The first time we spoke on the phone was before he signed his two-way and his first questions were just … he was really looking for the right place to be in for his development. I think we saw eye-to-eye from the first time we discussed. And then him just backing up those words with his actions.
“Showing up early in the preseason for the open gyms to try to work on his game and understand some of those things that we wanted to do and staying ready for his opportunity. And then during the season when his opportunity came and his number was called, he was ready.”
Grizzlies give O-Max Prosper a chance with guaranteed contract
That work paid off when Prosper inked a guaranteed contract in March.
“It felt great,” Prosper said. “Obviously, everything that happened in Dallas led me to here.
“It’s definitely good seeing the work being rewarded. It started with my belief in myself. I knew I was worthy of that. Even though I was on a two-way, it didn’t change my approach or anything. I knew it eventually was going to work out.”
Since getting that contract, Prosper put up career highs with 31 points against Houston on March 27 and four steals against Atlanta on March 23.
“He’s always provides a ton of energy,” Iisalo said. “One of the greatest motors that I’ve ever seen, definitely in the NBA.
“Just never takes any plays off. Using every day and every opportunity to get better. That’s really the type of guys you want to coach.”
Prosper knows being a versatile role player is how he’s going to stick in the NBA.
“This is a gritty, long season, you got to be willing to stay true to your routine,” Prosper said. “And be consistent in every little detail, on and off the court.
“There’s going to be some games that are up and down, but you got to stay steady in terms of mental. You can’t get too up or too down. You got to stay steady and you got to find what your niche is. You got to find what skill you’re elite at and really focus on that and be great at that.
“For me, it was focusing on my ability to guard multiple positions and be versatile on both sides of the ball. Offensively, you can put me as a three, four, five. And defensively, I can guard one through five. So that’s been my calling card.
"Now you can add to your game after that. Add to your shooting, add to your bag, but first you have to do what your calling card and do that and be consistent and stay poised the whole way through the season.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ex-Marquette standout O-Max Prosper has learned how to stick in NBA