ONCE a typical country kid in his family’s farm in Newark, Arkansas, the story of Austin Reaves’ life took a full 180 in a span of a few years.
READ: Of course, a Los Angeles Laker is the GOAT for Austin Reaves
From going undrafted in 2021, the 26-year-old playmaker found the best free agency detour to make his alluring NBA dream a reality with the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Reaves didn’t shy away from the fact that the Hollywood lights would at times be too bright for a kid who had humble beginnings like him.
Once upon a time in Hollywood
In his last visit to the Philippines in August, two months before the new NBA season tipped off, Reaves talked all things Lakers, fame, and golf to SPIN.ph.
Popularity-wise, he had one simple response to put his feelings altogether.
In his words, “I don't want to be famous.”
Two men who’d know him best in agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency also attested to how the grandeur of his current stature hasn’t changed who Reaves has always been as a friend and a person, not even in the slightest.
“I make fun of him all the time because I know that he doesn't want to be famous. He loves what he does, he's great at what he does, but the fame is not something that he actively was pursuing,” said Berry.
“So, for him to be so famous, it's like funny, you know? For a guy that doesn't like the attention, he handles it with a ton of grace.”
Reilly added: “He hasn't changed since he’s been in the league, since we first started. From when we were doing pre-draft workouts, and since he entered the NBA, he's the same guy.”
There are a few perks here and there that comes with being an instant A-lister.
But for the young Laker star, he just takes them as they come rather than using the fame card upfront.
“I guess just access. You can kind of go anywhere, you want to go eat in L.A. regardless of where it's at.
“But I don't ever use it. I just show up. So just having access to kind of anything. It's not hard to get access to anywhere.”
It does make it a tad bit easier for him to enjoy his second passion away from basketball: golf.
Austin’s greener pastures
Young as he is, golf has already been one of his well-known offseason hobbies — one well-documented on social media through his ‘Hillbilly Bogey’ pages on Instagram, YouTube and Tiktok.
Back in May, Reaves took his golfing exploits to the next level by partaking in an open qualifier for the Korn Ferry Tour's Visit Knoxville Open.
While he did fall short of qualification with a score of 76, an upbeat Reaves broke down his most recent side quest to a tee.
“I hit the ball really well. I could go through the whole shot, birdie one, par two, lift the par putt out on three, missed the six foot birdie on four, and then I think I went three putt, three putt, three putt, for bogey, bogey, bogey,” he shared.
“I might have hit one of the last two. So, I was two over going through the back nine, and I was already pissed off because of what I did back there. Bogey one, par two, third par, that would be 10 and 11.
“And I had a lot of pars, and my birdie was the last. So, kind of 76, could have been 72, 71, maybe 70, but I was nervous on the first tee. Yeah, I was nervous.”
For someone who never had formal training and plays golf out of interest and as a ‘stress reliever,’ it wasn’t too bad of an effort from the Lakers star.
“It differs every time I go play. But I've never, I don't practice, I don't hit the range. I've never had a lesson. I just go play. So, one day I'll probably be good. Iron will be shaky, putt is decent,” said Reaves.
“Next day, my tee ball will go everywhere and I'll hit my irons really good, and I'll putt well. But, I think for the most part, my short game is probably the most consistent.
“My wedges are usually pretty foul too. But, my tee ball can get left, right, yeah, it goes everywhere sometimes.”
From playing in the esteemed St. Andrews Links club in Scotland to our own Manila Polo Club, Reaves pointed out how he finds a sense of relief in what he described as ‘the most stressful game in the world.’
“It’s crazy because it's the most stressful game in the world. But I stopped thinking about basketball for a little bit, just thinking about golf. It's fun, I love it,” Reaves said.
“It's a tough sport. It seems so simple. The ball is just sitting there and it's not moving, but it’s very difficult.”
And even in the midst of a busy NBA season, he’ll still find time for golf, whether in L.A. or on the road.
“Probably two times a week. It depends on if we're on the road. I still travel with my clubs. If we're in LA, I'll play probably 30 times because it's easier to get access to the courses.
“But during the season, two to three times a week.”
Ready for Redick’s LakeShow
Following two contrasting playoff runs in the last two years, the Lakers bade farewell to embattled shot-caller Darvin Ham.
A relatively brief coaching search would end with former NBA player-turned-pundit JJ Redick taking over the reins in L.A.
Come late October, Reaves will play for his third Lakers head coach in four seasons after Frank Vogel in 2021-22 and Ham in their last two campaigns.
And having Redick’s trust early on is what Reaves will be banking on as he’s set to take on a ‘bigger role’ for the Lakers this season as part of his starting unit with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.
“He’s great. I think that we can really go for it this year. He’s super locked in,” Reaves said.
Reilly added: “It’s a lot different. His (Redick) attention to detail is very good, really. He put him (Reaves) through a workout thing and it seems like he has a much different workout attitude.
“Different vibe, different energy.”
In the long term, Reaves hopes there’ll be a path for him to play in L.A. for Team USA come the 2028 Olympics, having been part of the national team that finished fourth in last year’s Fiba Basketball World Cup in Manila.
“Our main goal is 2028. It’ll just be a heck of a story,” Reilly said.
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