Despite a competitive first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers lost in five games and now have more questions to answer this offseason.
The Lakers wasted no time in making a major move, firing former head coach Darvin Ham and his coaching staff. Los Angeles now needs to find the right head coaching candidate if they hope to turn their fortunes around and get back to competing for titles.
In the meantime, players like Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell will get to enjoy their offseason a little earlier than expected. Reaves and Russell were the starting backcourt for the Lakers last season and they showed how well they can play off each other when given minutes together.
Reaves and Russell are also best friends off the court and the two were recently seen indulging in a golf simulator in their down time with the latter draining a hole-and-one, via Reaves’ Hillybilly Bogey Instagram account:
Austin Reaves hits a Hole-In-One in front of Dlo 😳⛳️ pic.twitter.com/0y5HfXKXRb
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 7, 2024
In the video, Reaves takes a swing while Russell looks on from the side and the both wait in anticipation as the golf ball makes its way down the course on the screen. The ball drops and the two guards celebrate Reaves’ hole-in-one by hugging and cheering.
It’s a small moment, but it perfectly illustrates the bond the two players have off the court. Reaves has previously mentioned that he and Russell go golfing together regularly though this time they mixed it up by dominating a virtual course.
However, this past season could be the last time the two suit up for the purple and gold together as Russell has a player option for the 2024-24 season that he is likely to opt out of. Despite his strong 2023-24 season, Russell is in line for a raise after putting up the best shooting season of his career.
Meanwhile, Reaves could also be on the move as the Lakers have been linked to several star guards via trade. If Los Angeles wants to get a deal done for a star, it would almost certainly have to include Reaves.
Darvin Ham’s benching of Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell didn’t sit well with Lakers
Ham made several questionable decision this past year regarding his starting lineup choices, including benching Russell and Reaves at different points of the season. After his firing, it was reported that benching the duo didn’t sit well with some within the Lakers organization.
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