After helping the Los Angeles Lakers get all the way to the Western Conference Finals, Austin Reaves has finally established himself as one of the most promising young players in the NBA.
Reaves going from undrafted guard to third option on a team featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis is remarkable and he’ll get a chance to show that he’s a budding star when he suits up for Team USA in the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup. The 25-year-old has already drawn praise from Steve Kerr and Grant Hill ahead of the team’s training camp in August, so he appears to have a role lined up for him already.
Playing for Team USA is an honor and privilege that all players should take seriously, and in appearance on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, Reaves expressed what it’ll mean to play for the national team:
“It means a lot. Just to play for our country means a lot and I think we’ve put together a team’s that’s a team. Like, I feel like we got guys…we got guys, obviously guys that are real high level and then you got guys that kind of plug and play in there too. So super excited for it, I want to go learn as much as I can from all these guys and just hopefully go win.”
Team USA features several of the young stars in the league including Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Brandon Ingram, so Reaves will have a chance to really learn from his peers during their time together. Edwards and Haliburton are the likely starters at guard, but Reaves has a good shot at being one of their primary backups.
For the Lakers, the benefit of having Reaves play internationally is that he should come into camp already in basketball shape and a much better player. Individuals who go on to play for Team USA tend to have strong regular seasons, so hopefully that trend continues for Reaves when the 2023-24 season comes around.
Austin Reaves sent heartwarming birthday message to Kobe Bryant’s nephew
Since coming to Los Angeles, Reaves became an instant fan favorite due to his play on the court. His popularity skyrocketed in his second year when he took a leap and became one of the team’s best and most important players.
Off the court, though, Reaves has proven to be a kind person as he recently sent Kobe Bryant’s nephew a heartwarming video message on his birthday.
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