NBA players use various mechanisms to unwind from an arduous season. Some rely on music and leisure. Others like Austin Reaves always want to stay in ‘the zone’. For him, golf works as the perfect solution. Most recently, he, Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell, Devin Booker, and other YouTube golfers decided to spar on the golf course for an entire week. It didn’t matter how good or bad the other player was, their competitive instincts never stopped flowing.

On the Backyards Podcast, Russell and Reaves shared their experience from their week golfing together. Unsurprisingly, with it being a contest, trash-talking was imminent. At one point Reaves reveals he would have felt “hurt” had he spent the entire week religiously trying and lost. And during a game-tying moment, he admitted to feeling the jitters, unlike anything he had ever felt.

“That’s why I get 10 times more nervous in golf. I had a four-footer to tie on the 18th today and I was. But if I got a free throw to tie the game 10 seconds left like, it’s just money,” Reaves admitted.

It’s understandable why golf could be more devastating. It’s a game that depends solely on the person with the club in their hands. In basketball, a mistake could be rectified by teammates around. But even though Reaves couldn’t recall feeling such ways on the basketball court, his teammate saw something common.

“You can see it,” Russell explained on the show. “You can see the last 4 minutes of the game what AR’s face looks like and the last few holes of the scramble before we locked it in what he looked like is the same,”.

For Hillbilly Kobe in particular, having a club in his hand is almost therapeutic. He has his own YouTube channel based around competing with other avid golfers, attempted to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour because he was “bored” and even claims he is better than Stephen Curry at golfing. In his words, “I might actually have like an addiction… Because there will be days where I’m like f**king horrible”.

To Laker fans, it might sound concerning to know Austin Reaves has an obsession with golf to the point it affects him emotionally. However, considering the season that’s about to come, maybe preparing for such moments could benefit him.

A critical Lakers season awaits for Austin Reaves and Russell

JJ Redick spoke with glittering enthusiasm about Reaves. In particular, he saw a similar spark in AR as he did. He admires his competitive drive. Likewise, being a technician at his core, the rookie coach will look to Reaves to play a much larger role in the coming season. During his brief podcast stint with LeBron James, the duo spoke about the 26-year-old operating as a playmaker.

He has James’ trust to do so, especially after his atomic explosion against the Memphis Grizzlies where he famously shouted “I’m him”. With the King turning 40 and having revealed he would pick his spots, the Laker Nation could witness Oklahoma alumni function as the focal playmaker while Bron operates off the ball with less attention on him.

In his three years with the Purple and Gold, Austin Reaves has catapulted his numbers regularly. Under Redick, he could have the most active role he has had in all of his seasons thus far.

Switching to D’Angelo Russell, the crafty scorer had to fend off trade rumors when the offseason began. However, while those few bad games stood out, fans seemingly forgot he was the best volume shooter for them, converting 41% of his shots. With Redick’s mastermind dissection, he could create a variety of schemes that harness his ability off the catch. Furthermore, he can also become the secondary ball handler if Reaves comes to struggle.

Despite having made no major rotations in the roster, the Lakers have the guys who can click and inflict damage together. With James’ shooting expected to go up, there are a lot of different looks JJ Redick will look to show his opponents. Expect a variety of motions with players interchanging positions within them.

In the end, when it comes to execution, Russell and Reaves will be essential to the Lakers’ success.