You may have heard the saying “Behind every successful man, there is a woman”. Well, Austin Reaves has had one pillar of support alongside him for over a decade now. And no, it is not Taylor Swift, as some rumors would tell you. When she is not spending some quality time outdoors with her Lakers boyfriend, Jenna Barber makes it a point to either attend the games or cheer on from afar at the television screen. Therefore, it was expected that after Reaves’ recent thunderous performance, the 24-year-old would not be able to stay quiet.

After the Lakers’ 124-117 win against the Indiana Pacers, Jenna Barber took to her official Instagram account to post a story. While she could not attend the game held at the Crypto.com arena, Barber did catch it on TV. Good thing too, otherwise she would have missed her boyfriend’s career-high 45-point performance! Barber uploaded a clip of Reaves walking around after the game, and wrote a caption that read “Screaming!!! Love you, so proud”.

Going into the matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers were at a disadvantage. LeBron James was ruled ‘OUT’ of the matchup as he continues to recover from a left ankle injury. The NBA All-Time leading scorer was forced to miss his 1 game since December 28, when he sustained an illness. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic continues to recover from his left calf strain and was ‘OUT’ in the recent game too.

However, without the two scorers, Austin Reaves got the chance to shine. In 41 minutes, the shooting guard went 14-26 (53.8%) with his field goals. On top of that, he made 4-9 (44.4%) three-pointers and 13-13 (100%) free throws. The Lakers built an impressive 25-point lead in the first half, and Reaves added to it by scoring 14 points in the final quarter. His performance helped the team secure a close win, allowing their win streak to now go up to 5! The 26-year-old Reaves also became the youngest Laker to drop 45-5-5 in a game since Kobe Bryant in 2005. Even though Brian Scalabrine has the rightful title of ‘White Mamba’, Reaves’ performance showed hints of that flare that all NBA fans miss so dearly.

Along with the IG story, Jenna Barber also highlighted the Lakers’ official post commemorating the player’s feat. The 24-year-old celebrating the achievement would certainly go a long way in further pleasing the Lakers star. Just like it would have in all the previous times Barber celebrated her man.

Jenna Barber cheered on Austin Reaves during the 2023 Playoffs and FIBA run

Both Austin Reaves and Jenna Barber had an early start to their relationship. The couple met almost a decade ago, during their time at Cedar Ridge High School in Newark. This meant that Barber had been with the player since the beginning of his basketball career. They did have to endure a long-distance relationship after Austin Reaves went to Wichita State and then the University of Oklahoma. Now, she makes it a point to be alongside Reaves as much as she can.

In the 4 years that Reaves has been playing in the NBA, his girlfriend has often posted on social media in support of him. After the Los Angeles Lakers took a 3-1 lead against the Warriors during the 2023 playoffs, Jenna Barber took to her official Facebook account and wrote “3-1 baby!!!! such a fun chapter in life”. Barber even attended one of the games, sitting alongside Reaves’ mother.

A few months after the NBA season, Reaves was selected to represent the US during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Barber accompanied the player during his travels. From her Facebook account, fans were able to catch a glimpse of the couple exploring landmarks in the host countries of Abu Dhabi, Spain, etc.

Jenna Barber serves as an example of what it means to have the right person by someone’s side. Given the Lakers’ current standing, we can hope that the team makes it through the playoffs, and Reaves shines in almost all of them. That way, we can get more appreciation posts from Barber’s side.