Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers guard, has become a focal point of attention as Team USA competes in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Early on in the tournament in Manila, he received wide acclaim for his play. However, after the United States’ 110-104 loss to Lithuania, Reaves came under fire on social media. This sudden change in popular opinion shows how unpredictable Reaves’ current condition is.
Austin Reaves’s brother, Spencer Reaves, has spoken out in defense of his sibling in reaction to the barrage of criticism. Despite the criticism Austin is receiving, his family has always had his back, and they continue to do so through highs and lows in his basketball career.
Austin Reaves reacts calmly to international trash talk
During the game against Team Lithuanian, guard Austin Reaves was the target of some trash talk from Lithuania’s Vaidas Kariniauskas. Although such comments have a tendency to inflame players, Reaves handled it with the maturity and poise of a seasoned veteran.
In reaction to Kariniauskas’s trash language, Reaves pointed out the competitive nature of basketball and the fact that the two players were rivals.
How does Austin Reaves feel about this the morning after? Here’s what he told me moments before practice:
— Nicole Ganglani (@nicoleganglani) September 4, 2023
“There’s been many times in my career where people looked at me sideways or done stuff so it’s basketball and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter.” https://t.co/k0bAyegwH5 pic.twitter.com/QcTJu9sve8
He dismissed the incident as insignificant, saying that he has had many opponents try similar strategies to get under his skin throughout the course of his basketball career. “There’s been many times in my career where people looked at me sideways or done stuff so it’s basketball and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter.”, he said.
Reaves’ resiliency and maturity in these scenarios were clear indicators of his success in high-stakes basketball situations. Reaves displayed his talents at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as he scored 10.8 pts per game on 46.2% shooting from deep, 2.2 rebs per game, and 3.1 asts per game. His play will be crucial to the success of Team USA in the competition.
Spencer Reaves stands up for Austin amidst social media criticism
To respond to the insults leveled at his brother Austin after Team USA’s loss to Spain in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Spencer Reaves resorted to social media platform X. Spencer’s reply brought attention to the widespread use of nasty, pre-written comments about Austin’s performance.
People really had “Austin Reaves sucks” tweets just waiting in the drafts for a bad game 😂😂
— Spencer Reaves (@SpencerReaves31) September 4, 2023
“People really had “Austin Reaves sucks” tweets just waiting in the drafts for a bad game 😂😂”, he said.
A lot of people were surprised and skeptical when they found out that Austin Reaves was on Team USA’s roster. However, he had already secured his spot on the team with a string of stellar performances before the event. Despite this, Austin was criticized on the internet after he made only two field goals in his last three games.
Spencer’s defense of his sibling is indicative of the nuances of life in the spotlight. Though Austin deservedly received praise for his efforts, he now faces higher expectations and a more critical eye than ever before. By highlighting the hard work and skill that got Austin recognized on the world scale, Spencer hoped to counteract the negative comments being made about the city on social media.
