NBA news: D’Angelo Russell recently guested on the latest episode of Patrick Beverley’s The Pat Bev Podcast, and it was a very interesting conversation between the two former Los Angeles Lakers teammates.
One topic that stood out was Reaves heaping praise on Austin Reaves. Obviously, there are more than a couple of elite players on the Lakers, but D-Lo has no doubt in his mind that Reaves is an absolute “killer.”
NBA News: D’Angelo Russell Has No Doubt That Austin Reaves Is a ‘Killer’
Remember when Reaves came out with the now-infamous “I am HIM” claim right in the middle of a huge performance this past season? Well, according to Russell, that’s pretty much the nature of the 25-year-old shooting guard:
“He was never excited about (having big games),” Russell said. “He just kinda always felt like, ‘Yeah, I can do that. I’m built like that. I’m supposed to do that.'”
Russell also went on to say that folks tend to underestimate Reaves simply because he’s not Black:
“They probably discredit him ’cause his skin color, but he got game,” Russell said. “… A lot of Black dudes in the league got one, maybe one white boy that they know can hang and can get to it at any park back home. I can bring him to any park back home, and he gonna hold it down.”
Beverley, who also spent some time playing alongside Reaves last season, echoed Russell’s high praise. For Pat Bev, what stands out the most for Reaves is his mental approach to the game:
“It’s more of his mind,” Beverley said. “He’s underrated. He Top 11, Top 12 in the league when it comes to IQ.”
dangelo russell think austin reaves is a killer
speaks on a time in minnesota where AR almost cooked him off the dribble 😂
pat bev thinks he’s a top 12 IQ guy in the league pic.twitter.com/eq1UDzeHgI
— Coach Rome (@Rome_Beast) August 2, 2023
NBA News: How Austin Reaves Almost Ended Up With Bucks
Lakers fans are more than happy to welcome Austin Reaves back for four more years after he signed an extension with the team this summer. They almost lost him too, with opposing teams supposedly showing interest in the 6-foot-5 guard in NBA free agency.
For their part, the Milwaukee Bucks actually almost got their hands on Reaves. It wasn’t via free agency, though. In a recent interview, the former Wichita State and University of Oklahoma standout admitted that he considered joining the Bucks when he went undrafted in 2021. It was the Lakers who came calling, though, and the rest, as they say, is history.
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