Lachlan Olbrich is a picture-perfect example of hard work and resilience paying off in a substantial way.
The forward out of Adelaide overcame adversity in more ways than one -- from personal heartbreak to on-court obstacles -- en route to eventually hearing his name called at the 2025 NBA Draft, and they're the experiences that prepared him for what ended up being a whirlwind, yet highly successful, predraft process.
Olbrich initially wasn't one of the 75 players invited to participate at the NBA Draft Combine; instead, he was among the headliners for the still-meaningful, but less-heralded G-League Elite Camp. He dove into that opportunity head first and was so impressive that he earned a call-up to the Combine, where he continued to be among the standout players on show.
What he demonstrated that week -- he was among the leaders in every statistical category at the Combine, including the top rebounder -- impressed a heap of teams, but it was the Chicago Bulls who made a draft night trade to make sure they could select Olbrich with the 55th overall pick.
"I think they really liked my work ethic that they saw at the G-League Elite camp and then the Draft Combine," Olbrich told ESPN.
"They saw how hard I hustled, and the one percent things. I think they see me... being able to do a bit of everything."
Olbrich spent two seasons in the NBL with the Illawarra Hawks prior to being drafted; the first of which was slightly volatile. Minutes were up and down over the season, which led to inconsistent output from the then-rookie, and he wasn't able to cement any kind of established role on Justin Tatum's team.
Following his first professional season, Olbrich experienced tragedy off the court, with his father, Greg, passing away suddenly after suffering a cardiac arrest during a local basketball game in Adelaide. He was 51.
Through the grief, Olbrich managed to complete a successful NZNBL season -- winning the league's MVP award, Grand Final MVP award, and championship with the Canterbury Rams -- and carried that form into his second NBL season.
He would go on to play a pivotal role for the Hawks in their 2025 title-winning campaign, averaging 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while proving to be particularly important in the Championship Series.
That led to Olbrich hearing his name called on draft night, and he was quick to pick a jersey number that would honour his late father.
"With our dad, No. 47 would always pop up for him," Olbrich said.
"Whether it's his plane seat ticket, he'd be 47 randomly. We'd look up at the lottery boards and it'd be 47 one day. It'd be a random number that always popped up around dad. It's been that for our entire lives.
"I thought it'd be my way of saying he's always with me when I'm playing."
Olbrich's improvement from his first professional season to his second was evident, and the same could be said for what he showed throughout the predraft process, clearly progressing as time went on.
He'd exhibit that sort of development and processing ability over the course of his first NBA Summer League, overcoming a slow start to end up averaging 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over the course of his time in Las Vegas.
"Summer League's a very fast paced game," Olbrich said.
"Each player had 10 personal fouls before they get fouled out, so it's a very physical game. It's almost a physicality I don't think I've played with before.
"With me in general, there's always an adjustment period with whatever league or season I go into. As I climbed the ranks, it's always going to be like that. The more I play, the better I can settle in and find my groove."
Olbrich signed a two-way deal, which will see him spend some time with the Bulls' G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, but he's hopeful that he'll get is opportunity with the main group during the regular season.
That would see him link up with fellow Australian, Josh Giddey, who's in the midst of contract extension negotiations with the Bulls. Giddey was quick to call Olbrich after the draft and offer congratulations to his new teammate.
"He rang me after I got drafted," Olbrich said.
"I was excited, but he sounded pretty excited [too]."
Olbrich and Giddey have both been working out in Melbourne over the offseason, in the CourtSide facility, with the pair also sharing the floor in the regular runs that take place in the gym.
"Giddey's an elite level player," Olbrich said.
"Playing with someone with that level vision where, if you're open, you're gonna get the ball. He's a player you wanna play with. In these runs, my role is creating openings for other people. Giddey finds those passes as well. He's not just a one dimensional pick-and-roll [player who] only hits the roller; he'll hit one of four other open guys on the court."
Olbrich's game is unique. He's 6'10 forward who has great mobility for his size, impressive touch around the rim, underrated passing, and an effective -- albeit funky and awkward at times -- post game. There are natural questions that arise when talking about him as an NBA player: is he undersized? Will the shooting come? Who does he guard?
Through his predraft process, though, NBA teams really did fall in love with his general feel for the game, and his development over the last two years gave them -- and particularly the Bulls -- confidence that he can figure out ways to be effective at the next level.
Developing a consistent three-ball is next on the list of things Olbrich is hoping to refine ahead of his rookie season in the NBA, as well as continuing to assimilate to the new style of play he'll be operating in.
"Just spacing the floor, keep being that connector guy," Olbrich said, on what he's working on this offseason. "Heavy on the rebounds, I've got to be able to rebound the ball against more athletic people in the NBA. That's the more simplified version of what I'm working on right now."
There's a sense Olbrich is prepared for the challenges ahead in the NBA, having worked his way up to this point. As he said, somewhat cheekily: "facing adversity is definitely a way to get better at facing adversity."
And, the 21-year-old has advice for those rising players who may experience similar challenges throughout the early stages of their basketball journey.
"Just keep getting in the gym," Olbrich said.
"Have your team manager open the gym early. Get in an hour before practice, stay an hour after practice. Keep working on your game.
"Keep working on the game that's translatable to what level you're trying to play at. People can not play you, or [they can] bring you down, but hold a steady ship within your head, and know where you're trying to go, and that's all you can do."