AUSTIN Reaves talks about his rise to prominence as SPIN.ph caught up with the charismatic Los Angeles Lakers guard before Team USA practice.
READ: Lakers and USA guard Austin Reaves downplays newfound fame
SPIN.PH: Austin, your offense has been really great but what other aspects do you think can still improve in your game?
AUSTIN REAVES: Just a little bit of everything. The beauty of basketball is that you can never actually perfect it, right?
You always can get better in some aspect.
I just really wanna be an all-around basketball player. I don’t wanna be labeled as ‘that certain thing.’ I wanna be able to play the game in the way the game’s supposed to be played and effectively just sharpening all the tools that I have.
SPIN.PH: Who among your current (Team USA) teammates were you genuiunely surprised with, or has shown maybe something you haven't seen from them before in the NBA?
AUSTIN REAVES: Honestly, I knew all of these guys were super talented and they can do anything on the basketball court.
So it’s more of (what I’ve learned about them) off the court — just personalities and the way they go about life and the way they’ll bring in and show (how to be) a basketball player.
But also, at the same time, it’s more off the court stuff in (learning) just the way they approach the game and the fun that they have.
SPIN.PH: What does this experience of playing in the World Cup at a young age mean for you?
AUSTIN REAVES: It means a lot.
Anytime you can represent your country and play for a greater goal, it’s special and I don’t take it for granted.
The main goal is gold and that’s, you know, shooting for nothing less.
SPIN.PH: How excited are you about the Lakers' upcoming season, and how are you liking your chances so far?
AUSTIN REAVES: I like our chances a lot. (We’re) bringing back that core from the Western Conference Finals and adding some more new pieces.
Hopefully, we mesh from day one. I haven’t had that since I have been in the league, you know, a fresh start with both the USA (and the Lakers) early in the year.
But hopefully we could get a good kind of energy throughout the whole year and get that 82 games of playing alongside one another and have some chemistry so we could get into the playoffs and make a good run.
Bigger stages, bigger responsibilities
And as a bonus, in the post-game press conference of USA's opening World Cup win over New Zealand, Reaves had this to say when asked by SPIN.ph on facing the bigger responsibilities attached with playing in bigger stages.
SPIN.PH: At an early part of your career, the stages you get to play at grow bigger and bigger. How much are you embracing the bigger responsibilities that come along with it for you as a young player and rising star in the league?
AUSTIN REAVES: I love it. That's what you play for.
Every kid wants to be at this stage. I was one of those kids watching the World Cup, the Olympics. Every day, I wake up, I cherish those moments and I don't take them for granted.
And every day, I get to play with this much talent. It makes it easy for me just because everybody's selfless and there's no egos on the team. It's been real fun for me.
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