Back in December 2022, Austin Reaves sat at the podium during a presser. The Lakers had just lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. The outcome could have been different if the team had used all their clutch time free throws well. One of them was missed by Reaves himself. When discussing the same, the young star had one particular thing to say in response: “I’m sure my mom will be frustrated at me for missing a free throw.” After all, the Reaves family is a competitive one, with everyone from the parents to the elder brother having dabbled a hand in professional basketball. Therefore, fans may forget such moments, but they can pop up from time to time at the dinner table.

Have you ever felt the need to learn more about the 26-year-old shooting guard’s parents? Well, then here is your chance to do so. Therefore, without any further ado, let us dive in.

Who are Austin Reaves’ parents’ Brian and Nicole? How did they introduce him to basketball?

Austin Reaves was born and brought up by Brian Reaves and Nicole Wilkett back in Arkansas, who are former basketball players. The duo had created a different life for their son, as the future NBA player spent his childhood on a 300-acre farm “in the middle of nowhere.” Despite hailing from a small town like Newark, Reaves couldn’t be away from a basketball for long. In fact, his parents made sure of it.

During an interview with The New York Times, Nicole Wilkett admitted that the young Austin Reaves disliked working with cows. Ironic for someone who was brought up on a farm. In light of this, she gave her son an ultimatum: “Either you get in the gym or you work on the farm.” Therefore, instead of learning to farm, he chose to pursue sports. Once the basketball bug hit Austin, there was no going back.

“As a kid he started watching a lot of NBA games on TV, and then he became a huge Kobe Bryant fan,” Wilkett revealed. “That was his guy. He would walk around occasionally and say, ‘I’m going to the NBA,’ and of course, us: ‘Yeah, okay. Yeah, you’re going the NBA.’”

Austin Reaves himself credited his growing interest in basketball to his elder brother, Spencer. From dragging the young man out of the house to take him to the gym and then to the court, to making him work by putting up extra shots, Spencer pushed his brother to progress. Even Nicole joined in from time to time, engaging her sons in a game of H-O-R-S-E. Recalling the games, all Nicole could say was “I would beat both of them. I’d have on my pink fuzzy house shoes, and I’d go out there and I’d beat (them).”

Even today, Reaves knows who taught him the game and doesn’t hesitate to seek advice. Reportedly, by texting his mother first after every game, he is sure to receive some constructive criticism, but also a few kind words too. After all, Nicole certainly knows what it is like playing on the professional level.

Did Austin Reaves’ parents play professional basketball?

Austin Reaves’ father, Brian, first laid the foundation of his basketball aspiration during his time at Kokomo High School in Indiana. During the 1988-1989 season, which also happened to be his senior year, Brian led the Kokomo Wildkats to a state runner-up finish by averaging 10.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. His contribution allowed him to become the team MVP and become the top player in two categories. By the time he graduated, Austin’s father had accumulated 726 points and 528 assists.

Brian then took his talents to Arkansas State University. According to Sports Reference, between 1989 and 1993, he played in 107 games as a point guard. During the period, he averaged 4.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. While he may not have been as efficient on the scoring front, Brian did manage to accumulate 384 assists during his college tenure. As of April 2023, those career assists remain the 3 highest in Arkansas State University’s history. For Austin Reaves, seeing his father’s photographs may have been a big source of inspiration. At the same time, it also provided some content for laughter.

“It was kind of funny,” said Austin in an interview. “My dad played when the shorts were really short, so I always make fun of him when I see those.”

No reports have confirmed whether Brian Reaves entered his name in the NBA Draft, or was simply rejected from it. Despite what happened, Austin’s father did not play in the big league and instead went on to coach at the high school level, including a brief stint (1992-1996) as assistant coach at his old alma mater: Arkansas. During his tenure as a high school coach, Brian reportedly led his teams to multiple conference championships and even state tournament appearances.

Nicole Wilkett herself played professional basketball for, ironically, the University of Arkansas! During the 1991-92 season, she averaged a whopping 19 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 60 games. According to the official Arkansas State Red Wolves website, she placed 18th on the A-State all-time scoring list, all thanks to her accumulated 1,139 points. Furthermore, her 19 points per game stat allowed her to rank second in the all-time scoring average. Along with tallying the third-most points and third-highest scoring average by a Red Wolf during that regular season, Nicole also made the third-most field goals (241) and was the All-time leader in free throws (195). She became the first Red Wolf to earn a spot on the Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team within that one season. In November 2024, she was even named to the A-State Women’s Basketball All-50 Year Team!

From all of this information, one thing is clear. Austin Reaves’ parents weren’t just any two people who dabbled a bit in basketball. They were prodigies! Playing and studying in Arkansas allowed them to meet. As a result, they eventually started a family and raised a son who would take his basketball aspirations further than they ever did.

The benchmark set by his parents may have given him the motivation to learn not only about on-court moves but also ways to behave behind the scenes. Even after joining the Lakers, those lessons continued to have a hold on him.

Austin Reaves used childhood learnings to not feel bad about bench role: “Parents taught me at a young age”

Back in November 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers downgraded Austin Reaves from a starter to a bench role after they went 0-3 during their consecutive matchups. Fortunately, Reaves had the discussion with then-head coach Darvin Ham and wasn’t too much affected by it. After all, his parents had learned a lesson during their respective professional basketball tenure, that they passed on.

“I am a competitor. Truthfully, you don’t want to have that conversation. Would love to not have that,” said Reaves when asked about his reaction to being benched by Ham. “Would love to be playing better, to not have that conversation, winning as a team. My parents taught me at a young age that the coach is the coach, and regardless of the decision, you respect that.”

The fact that their son plays for the Los Angeles Lakers would have certainly made Brian and Nicole two proud parents. As Austin Reaves continues progressing, that feeling might continue making its way, toward them, from time to time.