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Austin Reaves Reveals Name of Person Who Made NBA Possible For Him; All You Need to Know
Austin Reaves, one of the LA Lakers stars, recently talked about the most influential person in his career when it comes to NBA.
Austin Reaves' path to the professional ranks has been rather different. It's rare to go from Wichita State to the University of Oklahoma and then to the Los Angeles Lakers. The cunning wing might never have made it to the G League, much less the glamour of Hollywood, if not for the right mentors. It's a good thing that the Lakers have had to deal with trade rumors involving Reaves all summer. He is, therefore, in demand.
But this wasn't always the case. The 26-year-old recently talked candidly about the crucial events and influential people who have been a part of his journey to become a professional basketball player. Lon Kruger, the basketball coach for the Oklahoma Sooners, may have had the greatest impact and, as Reaves noted, the greatest willingness to dream.
“When I got to OU is when I really thought (the NBA was possible),” Reaves admitted. “Kruger, my coach told me during my redshirt year, ‘You could go play in the league.’ When he said it, I believed it. And I had Jamal Bienemy, one of my best friends on the team told me that from literally the first day we played pick up, like, ‘Yo, you’re nice.’ And to this day, I tell him, ‘You were the first one that (gave me that vision).”
In terms of NBA prospects, Reaves' time with the Oklahoma Sooners was undoubtedly transformational. Coach Kruger helped Reaves develop the confidence and abilities necessary to compete at the greatest level. Kruger's faith in Reaves sowed the seed that eventually produced an NBA Champion.
Not bad for an Arkansas child. That conviction from Kruger and Bienemy served as a potent stimulant. After all, everyone requires the encouragement and support of others to realize their dreams.
Reaves was added to the Lakers' NBA Draft Big Board somewhat late, but that is understandable. Some never even recognized this potential. As a freshman, he averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game while attending Wichita State. Watching that 50.9% three-point shooting percentage at almost two attempts per game was impressive, though.
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