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LA Lakers guard Austin Reaves is being noticed not only for what he can do on the basketball court but also off it. He recently partnered with golfing brand TravisMathew to become an ambassador.
One of the most avid golfers in the NBA, the former Oklahoma Sooner has been signed by the Huntington Beach-based brand as part of its product expansion. The brand reported $1.1 billion in revenue in 2023 (as recently reported in the Orange County Business Journal).
The development caught the attention of NBA fans and sparked interesting reactions on social media.
Here are some of their takes on X (formerly Twitter):
@MaxEhrlich wrote: Dude really just living the dream every kid has playing a MyCareer in 2K
@WithTheEnglish1 wrote: Build his statue now
@90m3z_ wrote: He is HIM!!!
Austin Reaves once said he’s the best golfer in the NBA
Apart from playing basketball, another of the passions of the LA Lakers’ Austin Reaves is golf. He even believes that he is the best golfer there is right now in the NBA.
The 25-year-old shooting guard has been playing golf practically all his life, which he further enhanced during his time at the University of Oklahoma.
In fact, in one instance, he said, he scored a sub-70 in a round and had an epic 441-yard drive in another. He estimated his handicap at around a 2.
Among his constant golfing partners is LA Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell, who he said has been picking up his game since taking up the sport during COVID.
In an interview that came out in Golf Digest in September 2023, Austin Reaves boldly declared himself as the best golfer in the NBA right now, even over consensus favorite Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
He said:
"Hey, I’m down to play golf whenever, wherever against anybody," Reaves said (via Golf Digest). "I love golf so much, I’d go play Tiger. Obviously, I don’t have any expectation of winning that one . . . but I would love to play against Steph."
As a further testament to his golfing skills, Austin Reaves was recently signed by golf brand TravisMathews as its newest brand ambassador. He joined the likes of former NFL running back Reggie Bush and pro golfer Jon Rahm.
But while he plays golf, he is not letting his basketball slip, currently averaging career-highs of 15.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds for the LA Lakers (30-26) this season.
Reaves and the LA Lakers were playing the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at the Chase Center in San Francisco, with the score tied at 46-all midway into the second half. The purple and gold are looking to win their fourth straight game.
