(Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
If Team USA is going to win the FIBA Basketball World Cup, they will only do so if all of their NBA stars show up and play hard.
It doesn’t matter if they are starters or bench players, everyone needs to get involved.
Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers proved that during their first game of the tournament.
During that game, he led the team’s second unit.
Following their victory, fellow teammate Anthony Edwards was gleefully shouting Reaves’ name as they made their way back to the locker room, a moment captured by USA Basketball’s Twitter account.
You heard him pic.twitter.com/H9KJIfcOk6
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 26, 2023
Reaves was solid with 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
However, much like during the regular season, those numbers don’t properly portray just how well Reaves played.
Team USA didn’t get off to a great start in their opening game against New Zealand.
In fact, they were down by nearly ten points toward the opening of the game.
And Edwards, who has been pitched as the team’s leader, was experiencing some problems and even committed four turnovers in the first half.
The assistance of the bench players, such as Reaves, helped the team get back in good shape and eventually earn a 99-72 win.
Ever since the formation of this team, people have commented that there isn’t a definitive leader on the roster.
While many have predicted Edwards would take on that role, most agree that it’s a lineup of role players who haven’t yet had the chance to lead their NBA teams.
Therefore, players like Reaves are all the more important.
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