One of the main goals for the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the NBA offseason was re-signing rising star Austin Reaves to a lucrative long-term deal, securing his future with the storied franchise while playing alongside superstar Luka Doncic.
Although there was a lot of speculation about Reaves’ contract and the prospect of another team swooping in to give him the deal he wants, the Lakers were able to get the deal done, inking him to a four-year, $185 million contract.
With Reaves’ future now secure, the veteran guard is enjoying his summer while making the occasional appearance on shows like Pardon My Take.
Austin Reaves Reveals His All-Time Starting Five
During his appearance on Pardon My Take, Reaves revealed who he’d put in his all-time starting five.
“All of the older people, don’t be mad at me because I’m talking personally from what I’ve seen and watched,” Reaves said. “Steph [Curry] at the one. I’ve gotta put myself in there, I can’t coach? Steph at the one, me at the two. It’s so much easier if I didn’t have to put myself in there because I would put Kobe [Bryant] at the two. We’re gonna go Kobe at the three, Bron at the four and Shaq at the five.”
As a big Kobe Bryant fan, it comes as no surprise that the Lakers legend would make the cut. Not putting Michael Jordan in there is a choice, but he did add himself instead.
Reaves adding LeBron James into the mix is also not surprising, as he thinks highly of his former teammate.
One noticeable omission is Luka Doncic, but putting Stephen Curry at point guard makes sense, even though many current and former players put Magic Johnson there, considering most view the five-time champion as the best point guard of all time.
Curry, however, changed the game as arguably the best shooter in NBA history and is a surefire Hall of Famer when he decides to call it a career. Reaves has gone head-to-head with the Golden State Warriors legend many times, so he’s seen what he can do up close and personal.
Then there’s perhaps the most dominant force in league history, Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers legend was virtually unstoppable in his prime, with a mix of speed, size, strength and touch that we’ve never seen before and might never see again.
Some choose to go with fellow Lakers legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain, who aren’t bad picks either. Others go with Boston Celtics icon Bill Russell or Hakeem Olajuwon.
O’Neal is the right choice in my opinion, even though you can’t go wrong with Abdul-Jabbar either.
A solid list from Reaves, as he heads into the prime of his career while trying to etch his name in Lakers history by trying to add another championship banner in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena while playing alongside Doncic for the foreseeable future.
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