Not many NBA players can go from undrafted to making the national team in just three years.
Besides being in the right environment, it takes a lot of hard work, health, and even some luck to achieve that kind of thing.
Fortunately for him, that was the case with Austin Reaves, who went from undrafted to signing a $50+ million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Reaves became a fan favorite in Southern California, which is why the team shared a clip of his signature no-look dimes on Twitter.
AR’s behind-the-back dimes 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ctj2vI57lL
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 19, 2023
He’s a versatile player who has done a little bit of everything every time he’s set foot on the court.
He’s not the kind of guy who needs the offense to run through him or get a lot of touches to be efficient.
His defense is a work in progress, but he puts in a ton of energy on that end of the floor, especially off the ball.
And his improvement was so notorious that he even had coach Darvin Ham drawing up plays for him in crunch time, even in the playoffs.
Reaves can score from all three levels, and he just leaves it all on the court on every single possession, regardless of the team or the scoreboard.
He earned LeBron James’ respect because of that, even being the team’s primary ball-handler in the clutch more often than not late last season.
Reaves’ summer with Team USA should do wonders for his development, and Lakers fans should be excited about what’s to come for him.
NEXT: Austin Reaves Jokes About Losing To Dennis Schroder, Germany In World Cup
