Why Lester Quinones believes Memphis Tigers prepared him for unique NBA journey

LAS VEGAS ― Lester Quinones finds comfort in an unusual situation.

The former Memphis Tigers guard spent his first three NBA seasons with four different teams. Now entering Year 4, he's participating with the New Orleans Pelicans in summer league after playing nine games there at the end of the 2024-25 season.

His short NBA career has included a lot of movement. He's been with a lot of coaches and a lot of teams.

Thankfully, three years with the Tigers prepared Quinones for this exact situation.

"Just having different coaches, having a new team every year, I've definitely used that to my advantage," Quinones said. "I feel like it was easy going from that. ... That's helped me with getting to know new guys and teammates."

Not much has changed with the relationship between Quinones and Tigers coach Penny Hardaway. The two spoke last week, Quinones said, while flashing a big smile across his face.

Memphis is the "second home" for Quinones, he said. As an NBA player, it's hard to catch Tigers games in person, but Quinones envisions himself as one of the former players who will return and cheer on the Tigers in person if they make a championship run.

"I definitely watch the games," Quinones said. "When they make some noise, I'll definitely be there. ... I'm always going to rep Memphis."

Quinones was the veteran on the floor for the Pelicans in his first summer league game in 2025. He finished with a team-high 20 points while coming off the bench in a 98-91 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He knocked down five 3-pointers and was the only Pelicans player who finished with a positive plus-minus while playing more than 20 minutes.

Despite his strong performance, Quinones was more focused on a mentorship role. The Pelicans drafted two players in the first round, and he's taking it upon himself to show them the ropes.

"“it’s a great opportunity in there," Quinones said.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.I

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Lester Quinones shines in summer league, credits Memphis Tigers journey