In a short amount of time, Austin Reaves has been a seamless fit for the Los Angeles Lakers, specifically with the two stars in Anthony Davis and LeBron James. After originally coming in on a two-way deal, Reaves is now an integral piece of the team moving forward, which must be a surreal feeling for the former undrafted player.
This past summer was an eventful one for the Arkansas native as he signed a new multi-year deal with the Lakers, played in the FIBA World Cup and celebrated the release of his signature shoe with Rigorer. Not even three years down in his career, Reaves is gaining a lot of popularity due in part to the spotlight that the Lakers have.
Another opportunity arose for him and Davis as they appeared in a commercial alongside an acting icon in Jack Black for the Kung Fu Panda movie that releases on March 8:
This is the kind of opportunity that will present itself for Reaves and Davis due to the branding that the Lakers have. It was an entertaining commercial as the two teammates were able to tap into their acting skills and none better to do that next to than Black.
As the Lakers embark on this final stretch of the regular season, the commercial provided some comedic relief as Reaves and Davis’ chemistry on the basketball floor showed on the screen when it came to acting. While the two are dabbling into the acting and production field, it will be intriguing if they make more appearances in some other commercials in the future.
Darvin Ham praises Austin Reaves for taking on more defensive responsibility for Lakers
When Reaves was proving himself on a two-way deal in his rookie and sophomore year, he was doing all the dirty work like taking charges and diving for loose balls. As his offensive game expanded, his defense fell to the wayside as James and Davis needed some reliable scorers to support them.
Due to the injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish though, Reaves has needed to get back on his defensive prowess due to the lack of personnel. Head coach Darvin praised Reaves for taking on more defensive responsibility for the team, which featured some tough matchups like James Harden, Devin Booker and Stephen Curry as of late.
