Austin Reaves says he thinks that white NBA players sometimes are “not very good.”
The shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers recently spoke to ESPN about breaking existing stereotypes since he’s become one of the hottest scorers in the league.
"You know, as a white guy in the NBA, I sometimes look at white players and I'm like, 'They're not very good,'" Reaves said. "So, it's a stigma that I think is real."
Another great white player, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, spoke about what Reaves has gone through in regard to that stereotype.
"I think every guy in our shoes has experienced some level of this where you're going to be tested," Redick said. "And truthfully, no matter how many times you pass that test, you're going to be tested again."
Reaves has gone to great lengths to prove his value in the NBA. Originally not drafted, he’s found a home with the Lakers and has become the Lakers’ third scoring option behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
For the season, he’s averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, and the Lakers recently earned their 50th win of the season.
James recently told ESPN that he knew Reaves was a great player from the jump.
"I saw that early, man," he said. “When we picked him up, I went back and started watching his Oklahoma highlights and stuff and seeing the way he could handle the ball and his creative [side], to be able to create shots off the bounce."
“His competitive fire, his drive... I could see it,” James continued. “I could see he had a spirit about him. He had an energy about him."
Elsewhere in Reaves’ story, he explained how he learned of the blockbuster trade that brought Doncic to the Lakers.
"First thing, I was like, 'Oh this is [false],'" Reaves said. "'He got hacked.'"
"The group message started going crazy," he added. "AD, texting the [team] group message, was like, 'They traded me.' And I was like, 'OK, AD is bullshitting with us.' He's a kid at heart, has his fun. He literally has a prank TV show. I thought it was one of those."