Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles during the opening game of the 2023-24 season against the Denver Nuggets. | Photo by Bart Young/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Laker star detailed the success he has had on the golf course, proving his athletic prowess beyond basketball.
Los Angeles Lakers star guard Austin Reaves struggled in his team’s season-opening loss to the Denver Nuggets, scoring just 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
But in a video released by the PGA Tour, Reaves revealed that he does not struggle to hit a golf ball.
He admitted to being a scratch golfer and hitting a drive that could contend in the World’s Longest Drive competition.
The former Oklahoma Sooner has even shot a sub-70 round too—a feat that most amateurs will never accomplish.
“I hit one day; it was a par 5. [The] wind was at my back, downhill. I hit it 441 [yards],” Reaves said about his longest drive ever.
He then revealed that he brings his clubs everywhere, smiling when doing so.
But the Lakers star was not smiling after Tuesday night’s loss, in which the Nuggets defeated the Lakers 119-107.
“They played a good game,” Reaves said after the game. “Obviously, there are a lot of things we need to work on offensively and defensively, but we did some good stuff tonight. We will go back, watch film, and get better from it.”
The Nuggets seem to own the Lakers as of late, as Denver swept Los Angeles in the 2023 Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals.
Photo by Bart Young/Getty Images
Nikola Jokic and Lebron James during opening night of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Denver then defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win its first championship in franchise history.
Nikola Jokic won the 2023 NBA Finals MVP and then led all scorers with 29 points in his team’s season-opening win on Tuesday. Jokic also had 11 rebounds and 10 assists, thus becoming the first player to record a triple-double during the 2023-24 NBA season.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 21 points in the loss, but he also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
Reaves, coming off a breakout season, snagged eight boards and recorded four assists in the loss.
But for the Lakers to get back to their winning ways, Reaves will likely have to put the clubs aside for a little bit and focus on helping his team get back in the win column.
Reaves and the Lakers host Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Phoenix Suns in their next game on Thursday at 10:00 p.m. on TNT.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
