The United States of America aren't the only country buying into the hype that surrounds Los Angeles Lakers fan favorite Austin Reaves, as the second-year guard has revealed in an interview with BILD's Matthias Marburg and Dean Walle that he's contemplating playing for Team Germany for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Lakers teammate Dennis Schroder is currently the captain of the German men's national basketball team.
In the interview, which took place in February, a candid Reaves says that he's “very interested” in making the move.
“I have already spoken to Dennis Schröder about this,” Reaves says. “I had a long conversation with national coach Gordon Herbert a year ago. I'm really in the mood for it.”
“I have citizenship,” Reaves continues, when asked how it would be possible for him to play for the German national team. “I just have to submit my papers, my brother did that a few months ago.”
Reaves, whose grandmother is German, could be the naturalized player on Team Germany and has had a German passport since 2022.
In the midst of the best season of his young career, Reaves is averaging 12.3 points and 3.0 assists per game for L.A. while shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3. The Arkansas native has repeatedly shown up for the Lakers under the brightest lights, scoring 20 or more points in seven occasions this season.
Three of those games have taken place since Feb. 28 with LeBron James rehabbing a foot injury. Reaves has averaged 18.3 points and 5.8 assists per game in that stretch.
He would be quite the addition for Deutscher Basketball Bund (DBB), with the German national team's best finish in the FIBA World Cup coming in 2002, when the team won bronze.
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