Austin Reaves makes his way to his spot after learning from the greats.
Despite coming to the league undrafted, the Los Angeles Lakers guard had the opportunity to learn from two superstars with immense experience in the game.
On a recent episode of The Young Man and The Three, the 27-year-old opened up about his NBA journey, during which he received life-changing advice from Lebron James and Anthony Davis.
‘Be Yourself’
Reaves gave credit to the two superstars as they were the ones who helped him to become the best version of himself in his early years with the Lakers.
“I think I give LeBron and AD a lot of credit, especially because they were two people from day one who were just like, ‘Be yourself,’” Reaves said.
The 6-foot-5 combo guard said that being himself was what made his confidence grow, especially off the court.
“Don’t try to be anybody else on the court, especially off the court, too. That made me feel super comfortable because I don’t go out, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I really just love to hoop and play golf.”
He also noted that James is his GOAT, not just learning through him, but also being an example that loves the grind regardless of age.
“He’s the best player to ever touch a basketball,” Reaves said, doubling down on his belief that LeBron is the GOAT. “He probably could have retired six years ago, and people would still say the same thing. The only reason he’s still playing is because he loves the grind.”
Although the Lakers fell short against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the last playoff run, Reaves averaged 16.2 points, 5.4 boards, 3.6 assists, and shot 41.1% from the field in the postseason.
