One of the most hilarious rumors that swirled around NBA Twitter during the 2022-23 season was that Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers' nascent guard, was dating renowned pop icon Taylor Swift. Plenty of fans believed the altered photo that was making the rounds; but in the end, Reaves himself shot down the rumor, saying that he is in a happy relationship with his girlfriend, Jenna Barber.

However, as some would say, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. In this case, rabid Filipino fans who were in attendance for Reaves' sneaker event were teasing the Lakers guard, chanting out Swift's name loudly even after Reaves said that he wasn't single.

Per naaaaaaah69 from Tiktok, via Overtime:

Austin Reaves' star power has gotten to the point where his fans are shipping him with one of the most sought-after women in the planet in Taylor Swift. This just goes to show how far he has come from being this fan favorite who came off the Lakers bench to give the team a dose of hustle and energy to someone whom even a casual fan on the street will recognize.

Alas, as fun of a ship Reaves and Swift may be for Lakers fans, the Lakers guard is not on the market. Meanwhile, Swift, in the middle of her Eras Tour, seems to have taken a break from engaging in a romantic relationship. Perhaps in another life, those two could have come together. It's quite a shame, especially for Lakers fans, that that timeline appears rather unlikely to materialize in this reality.