Austin Reaves Bio
Austin Tyler Reaves is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. Born on May 29, 1998, in Newark, Arkansas, he plays the shooting guard and point guard positions and wears jersey number 15. After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Reaves signed with the Lakers and quickly emerged as a reliable scorer and playmaker. He earned the nickname AR-15 during his early NBA career and helped Los Angeles win the inaugural NBA Cup championship in 2023.
Early Life and Background
Austin Tyler Reaves was born on May 29, 1998, in the small town of Newark, Arkansas. He is the son of Brian Reaves and Nicole Wilkett, both of whom played college basketball at Arkansas State. His mother averaged 21.3 points per game and earned all-conference honors as a senior, while his father tied for third in program history with 384 career assists. Reaves also has a brother, Spencer, who played college basketball and later pursued a professional career overseas, and Reaves has credited Spencer with sparking his early interest in the game.
Reaves grew up in a household steeped in basketball, and he became a Los Angeles Lakers fan during his childhood. His grandmother is German, and that heritage allowed him to obtain a German passport in 2022. Standing 6 ft 5 in and weighing around 197 lb, Reaves developed his game on rural Arkansas courts before attracting statewide attention in high school.
Path to Basketball
Reaves attended Cedar Ridge High School in Newark, Arkansas, where he built a reputation as a prolific scorer. He won back-to-back Class 2A state titles in his first two seasons and scored 73 points in a famous triple-overtime win over Forrest City High School. As a senior, he averaged 32.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, leading his team to a Class 3A state title and earning state tournament MVP honors after averaging 43.3 points across four games. On January 20, 2016, he committed to Wichita State over offers from South Dakota State and Arkansas State.
At Wichita State, Reaves underwent surgery on his left shoulder before his freshman year and later had surgery on his right shoulder after his freshman season. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range. He then transferred to Oklahoma, where he sat out a year due to NCAA transfer rules and gained 20 pounds through strength training. As a redshirt junior, he averaged 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists and was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. As a senior, he averaged 18.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors, and on March 31, 2021, he declared for the NBA draft.
Austin Reaves Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Reaves went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft and signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on August 3, 2021. The Lakers converted his deal to a standard NBA contract on September 27, 2021, and he made his debut on October 22, 2021, scoring eight points off the bench against the Phoenix Suns. On December 15, 2021, he hit a game-winning three-pointer in a 107–104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
During the 2021–22 season finale on April 10, 2022, Reaves recorded his first career triple-double with 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 146–141 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. The strong close to his rookie season established him as a rotation player and set the stage for a larger role the following year.
NBA Breakthrough (2022–2023)
In the 2022–23 season, Reaves became a fixture in the Lakers’ rotation and produced several clutch performances. On March 19, 2023, he scored a then career-high 35 points with six rebounds and six assists off the bench in a 111–105 win over the Orlando Magic, scoring the final 10 points for Los Angeles. In the playoffs, he scored 23 points in his first postseason game, a 128–112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and matched that total in Game 4 of the same series. His play earned him the nicknames Hillbilly Kobe, White Kobe, and AR-15, though Reaves publicly expressed dislike for those monikers.
Lakers Era (2023–Present)
On July 6, 2023, Reaves re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $54 million contract. He opened the 2023–24 season with a streak of consecutive starts and helped Los Angeles win the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament on December 9, 2023, scoring 28 points off the bench in the championship game against the Indiana Pacers. On January 31, 2024, he posted a season-high 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks, then scored 32 points on a career-high seven three-pointers in a win over the Boston Celtics on February 1, 2024. He added a triple-double of 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a double-overtime win at the Milwaukee Bucks on March 26, 2024.
In 2024–25, Reaves continued to deliver in big moments, recording a triple-double of 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2024. He set a then career-high of 38 points against the Brooklyn Nets on January 17, 2025, and broke that record with 45 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers on February 8, 2025, becoming the fourth Laker in 20 years to score at least 45 in a game, joining Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. On October 26, 2025, he erupted for a career-high 51 points with 11 rebounds and 9 assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings, becoming the eighth Laker to attempt 20 or more free throws in a single game, and on October 29, 2025, he sank a buzzer-beating floater to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116–115.
Driving Style and Strengths
Reaves is known for his crafty shotmaking, confident three-point shooting, and poise in late-game situations. He excels at drawing fouls, finishing through contact, and creating offense for teammates with timely passes. His basketball IQ and willingness to take big shots have made him a trusted option in clutch moments for the Lakers.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his first career triple-double against the Denver Nuggets in April 2022, his 28-point performance in the inaugural NBA Cup championship game in December 2023, and his 51-point eruption against the Sacramento Kings in October 2025. He also passed Kobe Bryant for the second-most three-pointers in a single season in Lakers history during a 2024–25 game against the Golden State Warriors.
Austin Reaves Career Wins
Austin Tyler Reaves has compiled a résumé highlighted by team championships, conference recognition, and historic individual performances. His biggest team win came in December 2023, when the Lakers captured the inaugural NBA Cup. He also reached the NBA playoffs in 2023 and earned multiple All-Big 12 honors during his college career at Wichita State and Oklahoma.
NBA Highlights
Reaves won the NBA Cup championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023 and has been a steady contributor during the team’s playoff runs. His most recent standout performance came on October 26, 2025, when he scored 51 points against the Sacramento Kings. He has emerged as a go-to scorer and secondary playmaker alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Other Wins and Performances
In college, Reaves earned Big 12 All-Newcomer Team honors in 2020 and first-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2021. He also represented the United States at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, becoming only the third undrafted NBA player ever named to a U.S. national team, following Ben Wallace in 2002 and Brad Miller in 2006. In March 2023, he signed a signature shoe deal with Chinese sportswear brand Rigorer, and the first model named AR1 was released in August 2023.
Austin Reaves Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Reaves is the son of Brian Reaves and Nicole Wilkett, and both parents played college basketball at Arkansas State. His mother averaged 21.3 points per game and earned all-conference honors, while his father ranks third in program history with 384 career assists. His brother, Spencer, played college basketball at North Greenville and Central Missouri before embarking on a professional career that included stints in Spain and, as of 2023–24, with Rasta Vechta in Germany.
Personal Life
Reaves grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan and has German heritage through his grandmother, which allowed him to obtain a German passport in 2022. He considered playing for the German national team in 2023 before ultimately joining the U.S. team for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Outside of basketball, he signed a signature shoe deal with Rigorer in March 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Reaves opened the 2025 calendar year with a career-best scoring stretch, including a 45-point outburst against the Indiana Pacers on February 8, 2025, and a 38-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets earlier that January. On April 3, 2025, he made nine three-pointers in a game against the Golden State Warriors, surpassing Kobe Bryant for the second-most three-pointers in a single season in Lakers history. He continued to serve as a primary scoring option and clutch performer for Los Angeles.
He carried that momentum into the 2025–26 season, exploding for 51 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings on October 26, 2025, and hitting a buzzer-beating floater to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves three days later. His ability to create offense and deliver in late-game situations has solidified his role as a cornerstone of the Lakers’ rotation. With multiple years remaining on his contract, Reaves is positioned to remain a central figure for Los Angeles.