The regular season is finally here for the Los Angeles Lakers. After being bounced in the first round by the Denver Nuggets, L.A. experienced a lengthy offseason due to their early exit. However, it allowed players like Austin Reaves to mentally and physically reset.
Last offseason was challenging for Reaves after playing for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup and then having little time to rest before training camp. That resulted in some struggles offensively to begin the season before he found his groove.
However, this offseason, Reaves was able to decompress and have ample time to ready his body for the 2024-25 season. Popular golf apparel company TravisMathew, who partnered with the Arkansas native last year, released a commercial detailing his offseason:
The offseason was par for the course, but now it’s back to business for Austin Reaves. 🏀 pic.twitter.com/kWVq1RiULr
— TravisMathew (@TRAVISMATHEW) October 21, 2024
At this point, it is not surprising how much Reaves enjoys golfing because whenever he has downtime, he finds a way to get on the court. After launching his own YouTube golf channel “Hillbilly Bogey,” Reaves began to pick up sponsorships such as TravisMathew.
Although the Lakers guard tries to find a healthy balance between his two favorite sports, basketball is obviously the main priority. As L.A. prepares to bounce back from last year, Reaves is going to be an important piece to the puzzle with new head coach JJ Redick at the helm.
Reaves is expected to have the ball in his hands more, a trend that started during his sophomore season under former head coach Darvin Ham. Now with a full offseason under his belt, the 26-year-old guard could be in store for a career year as he is starting to embrace his role as the No. 3 option.
Austin Reaves: Strong start is key for Lakers to finish higher in standings
Slow starts have plagued the Lakers, relying too much on the back half of the season to turn things around and make the postseason. For this season, L.A. is banking on the idea of a new coaching staff turning the tide.
While the purple and gold have their first three games at home, it is followed by a five-game road trip. Having this long of a trip this early in the season is unusual, but Austin Reaves knows that having a strong start is key to finishing higher in the standings.
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