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Oklahoma basketball: Former Sooner Austin Reaves starting, starring for Los Angeles Lakers

By Chip Rouse

Apr 28, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) celebrates with forward LeBron James (6) after a 3-point basket in the first quarter of game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) celebrates with forward LeBron James (6) after a 3-point basket in the first quarter of game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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For much of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers were in danger of not making the 2023 NBA playoffs. On Friday night, they routed the Memphis Grizzlies and advanced to the second round in the players, and former Oklahoma basketball star Austin Reaves was right in the thick of it.

Reaves contributed 11 points, six rebounds, eight assists and even two blocked shots as the Lakers blew out the No. 3-seeded Grizzlies 125-85 in Game 6 to win their playoff series 4-2.

Reaves, who played for Lon Kruger at Oklahoma for two seasons (2019-21), is averaging 16.3 points through six NBA playoff games, and he and his Laker teammates now await their second-round opponent depending on the outcome of a Game 7 contest on Sunday between the defending champion Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings.

The former Oklahoma star was an undrafted free agent coming out of OU, where he averaged 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and nearly 4.0 assists per game in two seasons and was an All-Big 12 First-Team selection his senior season. Reaves began his college career at Wichita State before transferring to Oklahoma after his sophomore season. He redshirted the 2018-19 season at OU.

He was a good college player, who really came into his own his senior season, leading the Sooners in scoring and helping lead the team to an NCAA Tournament berth. He was not a great player, however, which is why he went undrafted.

Reaves signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in August 2021 and a month later signed a standard NBA contract with the team. He appeared in 61 games his rookie season, starting in 19, and averaged 7.3 points a game. This season, he played in 64 regular-season games, averaging 13.0 points a game, and he shot nearly 40 percent from three-point range, almost 10 percent better than year one.

The former Sooner has defied all odds, not only making it, but now starting in the NBA for a high-profile team and having a definite impact while in the game.

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