Austin Reaves has been the standout player for both Los Angeles Lakers and Team USA lately. It was very disappointing for the US fans in the FIBA World Cup to see their team finish as the fourth team in the tournament. Steve Kerr, with such great experience as a player and as a coach in the NBA, could not guide the national side to victory in the World Cup. But the national team of the USA showed a lot of promise throughout the tournament. Most of all, they reached the semis in a dominating style.
They were clearly the fan favorite. But Dennis Schroder’s Team Germany had other plans. However, Reaves gained a lot of fan following in the World Cup. Especially after Austin Reaves helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals last season. Additionally, the Oklahoma Sooners kid’s consistency caught the attention of the Lakers Nation. Later, in the FIBA World Cup, it was quite clear who’s the most popular player in the American team.
Austin Reaves Impressed Everybody In The FIBA World Cup
Despite the heartbreak of the FIBA World Cup, Austin Reaves remained as the fan favorite. Hence, he would like to continue to contribute to his team again in the next season. Austin Reaves will start as the Laker’s shooting guard. Moreover, it will be interesting to see how Reaves uses the knowledge that he gained in the FIBA World Cup. Clearly, Austin Reaves was the best player in the World Cup for Team USA, as per Hoops Hype. He looked incredibly comfortable around the big names of the NBA in Team USA, throwing down putback jams. Moreover, fans kept highlighting Reaves on social media and in the arenas.
Austin Reaves was rocking his signature shoes as well in the tournament. Among the players on the team, the Oklahoma Sooners kid garnered the most attention from the Philippine fans. Needless to say, Austin Reaves has made a global impact after his incredible sophomore season in the NBA with the Lakers. Fans and teammates of Reaves love his incredible basketball IQ. Even the all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, has a lot of faith in the Oklahoma Sooners kid. Moreover, the Lakers front office believes Reaves can be at the center of the future rosters of the franchise. They can build a team around Reaves in the post-James and post-Anthony Davis era.
AR Really Impressed The Laker’s Front Office In The Playoffs
Austin Reaves really became a fan favorite after he did a Steph Curry against the Warriors in Round 2 last season. He scored from halfway around halftime in one game in the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry received a taste of his own medicine as Reaves helped the Lakers beat the then-defending champions in Round 2. However, in the conference finals, things did not go according to the plans of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The eventual champions, Denver Nuggets, defeated the LA side in the most humiliating way possible. Moreover, the series ended in only four games. However, Austin Reaves and LeBron James were the standout performers for the Lakers in the WCF. Besides them, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell disappointed the fans in the conference finals. Hence, the Lakers were keen to extend the contract of AR to as long as four years. Reaves signed the contract extension worth $56 million for four years.