It was a busy offseason for Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, coming off his first playoff run, getting his signature shoe and being selected to Team USA’s FIBA World Cup roster.
When selected, many speculated whether Reaves deserved a spot on the roster. But it did not take long for him to prove the naysayers wrong. The Arkansas native came off the bench for Team USA and would often find himself closing games for the team.
Overall, it was a successful debut playing internationally as Reaves averaged 13.8 points, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and shot 57% from the field and 50% from 3. However, USA came up short and finished fourth place in the tournament.
With the 2024 Olympics taking place in Paris this summer, there have been plenty of rumors of many NBA superstars teaming up to win a Gold Medal, one being teammate LeBron James. The player pool for the Paris Olympics was revealed this week, and it included James, Reaves and Anthony Davis.
When Reaves was asked about his name being included, he was excited and blessed to be considered, via Khobi
Price of the Southern California News Group:
Austin Reaves says he's "super excited" and is "blessed" to be in the pool of players being considered for the Paris Olympics Team USA roster.
Said being with Team USA for last summer's World Cup was "one of the best experiences of my life." https://t.co/wsNADhykjp
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) January 23, 2024
Reaves’ impressive debut with Team USA this summer clearly was a factor in him being named into the player pool, but still remarkable for him to gain this much traction and notoriety not even three full seasons into his NBA career. However, it will be tough for the 25-year-old to make the roster as plenty of stars and rising stars are in this pool.
Some names include Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid, De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell. That is without James and Davis, who will assumingely get a roster spot if they are healthy.
Regardless, Reaves got the attention of Team USA general manager Grant Hill and will be on the radar for the national team for years to come. If Reaves is unable to appear in the 2024 Olympics, he surely could see another opportunity to represent his country down the road.
Austin Reaves would love to play for Team USA in 2024 Olympics but is realistic about chances
Rumors swirling about Team USA assembling the ‘Avengers,’ to win a Gold Medal in 2024 turned out to be true when the player pool was announced. While Reaves would love to play for USA in the Paris Olympics, he is realistic about his chances.
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