Lakers star Austin Reaves reveals former teammate tried to recruit him to SURPRISE team during breakout season

Austin Reaves revealed his teammate Schroder tried to get him to play for Germany.

Lakers star Austin Reaves reveals former teammate tried to recruit him to SURPRISE team during breakout season

Austin Reaves (via Silver Screen and Roll)

Austin Reaves has been rapidly rising to stardom. He had his breakout season this year playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He provided solid off-the-bench scoring for the team. Reaves was integral to the team’s playoff run, dropping 23 points in his first-ever playoff appearance. He was recently recruited to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. He revealed some details recently while being interviewed about how his former Lakers teammate Dennis Schroder tried to recruit him to the German team due to his maternal ties with the nation.

Reaves opted to represent his home nation, the USA and played alongside some All-NBA and All-Star-level talent. Some of his teammates include All-Star Anthony Edwards, DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr., and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Team USA boasts some stellar coaching staff as well, with Steve Kerr as head coach and Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue in assistant roles. The team has had a dominant run, winning all seven tune-up games and having a spotless record going into the final stages, besides a surprise loss to Lithuania.

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While being interviewed, Reaves revealed some details about his German heritage. An interviewer asked Reaves, “What’s the most German thing about you?”. In response to this, Reaves stated, “My grandma is from there. My brother plays over there; he plays professionally, so you know I’ve got those ties, but we’re here. He also revealed that Schroder tried to recruit him all year to play for Germany, given his links to the country and how well Reaves was playing.

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Schoder was the primary point guard for the Lakers in the 2023 season and played alongside Reaves. He helped the squad win games throughout the season and was integral to their run to the Western Conference finals. He hit the game-winning three against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament, officially helping them secure the seventh seed and face the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. He averaged 12.6 points for the Lakers. He found a new home with the Toronto Raptors this off-season, agreeing to a two-year, $26 million deal.

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How has Austin Reaves risen to fame so quickly?

Lebron James and Austin Reaves
Lebron James and Austin Reaves (via Newsweek)

Austin Reaves was born in Newark, Arkansas, and played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and the Oklahoma Sooners before declaring for the draft in 2021. Reaves originally went undrafted during the 2021 draft, eventually signing a two-way contract with the Lakers. Apparently, Reaves had told teams in the second round not to pick him because he specifically wished to join the Los Angeles squad.

Reaves was a bench role player for the Lakers. He averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his rookie season with 23.2 minutes of play. Coming into the 2022 season, he averaged 13.0 points. In the previous season, Reaves truly proved his mettle, averaging a solid 13 points during the regular season but making a massive jump come playoff time. He proved that he was ready for the big stages, dropping 23 points in his debut game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

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Austin Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 16 games in the 2023 playoffs. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 14 games in his last 14 games in 2022-23. Dropping 20+ points in all games against the Denver Nuggets except Game 4. The Lakers rewarded him for his work, signing him to a four-year $56 M contract. Reaves seems to be getting better at proving himself on the world stage and being a part of Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. His future with the Lakers and potential looks to be limitless.

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