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LA Lakers fans are scattered across the world and Austin Reaves has officially realized that he is a global celebrity. During the 2023 FIBA World Cup, fans in the Philippines are showing love to the Lakers wingman.
At the 2023 FIBA World Cup's social media handle in X, a fan posted a sign that humorously confused a lot of viewers the first time they tried to read it.
"Austin LeBron > Reaves James," said the sign held up by the young basketball fan.
The banner got immediate reactions on social media and even with the confusing sign:
Some found it funny and some Reaves fans found the banner cringe-worthy:
Reaves has helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a fantastic run going to the NBA Western Conference finals against then-champions Denver Nuggets. With the way "Hillbilly Kobe" is gaining in popularity, some even see the banner as factual:
One even stated the obvious about the banner:
Combining the sign along with the famous cat meme, this one just deserves to be posted here as well.
Austin Reaves is a no-brainer inclusion in Team USA
There were mixed reactions to the inclusion of Austin Reaves in the Team USA roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. But as tune-up games were being held, many saw why the Lakers wingman was pushed by national team executives to be part of the squad.
Team USA Steve Kerr knows this first hand as his Golden State Warriors got defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Western Conference Semi-Finals. He defended Reaves' inclusion in the national team roster to reporters:
"For me, after watching him kick our butt for six straight games in the Western Conference semis, it was a pretty easy choice," Kerr said. "I think Austin is one of the rising young players in this league. What you look for in FIBA is versatility."
In just his third year in the NBA, Austin Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds. The LA Lakers just recently decided to give him a new contract this off-season for four years and $53.8 million.
