Despite the slow start to his NBA career, Austin Reaves has gone on to become an integral member of the Lakers roster. He is just in his 3rd NBA season and has contributed immensely to the consistency of the team.
While his prowess was visible in the latest achievement of the franchise when the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup, Reaves most recently shared a payout update.
Austin Reaves reveals details on payout
After dominating the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers increased LeBron James’ trophy count and guaranteed a $500,000 bonus for each player.
Lakers star Austin Reaves shared his thoughts on the postgame celebration and the excitement surrounding the monetary reward in an interview on ‘Run It Back’ on FanDuel TV.
It appears Austin Reaves doesn’t know when the players will get the money, “Honestly I still don’t know the answer to that question. Someone told me the latest we get it, is January 15th but I don’t know.”
“No, I don’t think anybody has gotten any of their money yet but you know all the young guys were running around, you know even before the game you know please win, please win.”
Speaking of players on two-way contracts, Reaves added with a bit of humor saying, “Two ways were like this. $150,000 game for us, we need you to win.”
Reaves highlighted the enthusiasm among the younger players, showing the financial importance of the victory. He mentioned there’s some uncertainty about when exactly players will receive their $500,000 bonus, with the latest possible date being January 15th. Despite the lack of clarity on the payout schedule, Reaves amusingly recalled the younger players eagerly expressing their wishes for a victory even before the game kicked off.
Anthony Davis played a crucial role in the Lakers’ triumph during the tournament, delivering an outstanding performance with 41 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, and five blocks in the finals. Austin Reaves equally starred in the finals with 28 points which 22 came in the first half of the game. LeBron James rightfully earned the MVP award for the tournament, adding another feather to his laurels.
Reaves shares humorous run-in at Barclays Center
Lakers guard Austin Reaves is having a solid season, having recently signed a four-year, $53.8 million contract during the offseason. While he is now a more recognizable figure in the NBA, that wasn’t always the case for the Newark native.
In a conversation with Michelle Beadle on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back, Reaves shared an experience about a game against the Nets when security at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center mistakenly grabbed him as he was heading to the bench because they didn’t realize he was a player.
While responding to “Have you ever been out and about and someone’s like’ you’re not a Laker’?” Reaves answered, “We were in Brooklyn…Right before I got to the bench, I was about to sit down, security like grabbed me and was like ‘Whoa what are you doing?” Reaves added fun to the explanation when he said, “First person I seen was AD, and he just busts out laughing like, ‘Yo, he’s a player.’”
Reaves also mentioned that he has been stopped at the Lakers’ Crypto.com Arena a few times, recalling an instance when he didn’t have a car and was dropped off at the stadium, leading security to inquire if he worked for the team.
Now in his third season as a professional, the 25-year-old hopefully doesn’t encounter such issues anymore. Reaves has played in 23 games for the Lakers this season, including eight starts, and has maintained a career-high average of 14.1 points per game.
