He is a Nets star, & shares Team USA locker room with Reaves, what he said about the Laker

After his breakout season, Austin Reaves has been everywhere, and that has his doubters and detractors tired, as they believe the purple and gold star to be overrated, but different NBA players and head coaches have stated he is a 'killer' and a great player 'for real.'

This time, the Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges has also shared his opinion on Austin Reaves and that the Lakers guard is no longer an 'underdog' story, but a reality.

“This ain't no underdog s— no more,” Bridges said. “He's here.” Reaves, who went undrafted in 2021, has carved a big role for the Los Angeles Lakers in each of the last two seasons. He averaged 13.0 points on 51.9 percent shooting (38.3 percent from 3-point range), 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 64 games in 2022-23 for the Lakers, who advanced to the Western Conference Finals. His postseason was only better, as he averaged 16.9 points on 46.4 percent shooting (44.3 percent from 3-point range), 4.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Austin Reaves has signed a max extension with LA for four years and 56 million, with other NBA teams interested in signing him when he hit free agency earlier this offseason. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets were close to making an offer to the star, but he was quick to re-sign with LA.

LeBron James knew Austin Reaves is a great player

Reaves' performances have garnered respect from the Lakers' faithful, including superstar forward LeBron James, who said he knew Reaves would turn into a very good player. “It's not surprising to me,” James said. “I knew from the first practice that we had when we grabbed him that it wasn't going to be a two-way player for long…I know the type of players that fit with my game, and I knew Austin would be that.”