Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves’ parents have a background in basketball.
Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht were familiar with one another before the organization even drafted in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Highlights
- Austin Reaves and his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, lost a game against the Orlando Magic.
- Reaves was born to his athletic father, Brian Reaves, and his mother, Nicole Wilkitt.
- Austin and his brother, Spencer Reaves, hold German and American passports.
In December 2023, when Knecht was in a shooting slump, Reaves sent him a direct message and encouraged him.
It wasn’t the only time they communicated, but Knecht still thinks about this message. Reaves wrote,
“DK, what’s good my man?” “Just wanted to reach out and say what’s up? … Make sure we stay tapped in man. I’ll be watching, and if you ever need anything let me know. I’m around.”
Austin Reaves
Reaves recently provided some information on the origin of his relationship with Knecht. Reaves said,
“I just randomly one day saw him going crazy doing what he did in college and obviously I was very impressed with the way he scores the ball,” “The way he willed his Tennessee team to a lot of wins was special and I like to show my respects when I really like guys that have a lot of talent, and he’s one of those guys. I would text him after games that I saw and congratulate him on the accolades that he was putting up. That’s really it.”
Austin Reaves
Reaves’ team, the Los Angeles Lakers, recently lost a match with the Orlando Magic by 119-118.
Reaves played 33 minutes with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and gathered 9 points.
Basketball Guard Austin Reaves’ Parents Played College Basketball For Arkansas State University
Austin Reaves, 26, was born on May 29, 1998, to his father, Brian Reaves, and his mother, Nicole Wilkett.
His father, Brian, is a former college basketball player and coach. Before joining college, he was a starter in Kokomo High School’s basketball team for three years.
As a senior in the 1988-1989 season, he led the Kokomo Wildkats to a state runner-up finish. He was also the team MVP, averaging 10.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
When he finished his high school basketball career, Brian had 726 points and 528 assists. Later, he joined Arkansas State University and played basketball as a point guard from 1989 to 1993.
While at Arkansas State, he set the record for career assists, which tied him for 3rd place on the University’s leaderboard with 384.
In 2023, Austin Reaves revealed that his father texted him after he received a technical foul in the Lakers’ preseason matchup with the Golden State Warriors.
On the other hand, Austin’s mother, Nicole Wilkett, is also a former basketball player who dominated the court as an all-conference forward.
After earning all-conference honors, Nicole averaged 18.9 points during her two seasons at Arkansas State University.
Her senior year was awe-inspiring, as she averaged 21.3 points per game. Nicole’s skill set extended beyond scoring as she was a playmaker and a leader.
Nicole met her husband, Brian, in the early 1990s while studying at Arkansas State University.
However, they did not play together, instead, Nicole was part of the women’s team and Brian was part of the men’s team.
On the occasion of his mother’s 50th birthday, Austin gifted a brand-new house to her.
Austin Reaves And His Family Are Of European-American Descent
Although Austin Reveas and his entire family live in the United States, their ancestor had a deep-rooted history with Germany.
Reaves’s grandmother is German, which allowed him to obtain a German passport in 2022. In 2023, he expressed interest in playing for Germany’s national team but later joined the 2023 U.S. World Cup team.
His family includes one brother, Spencer Reaves, 28, who is also a basketball player. He is a shooting guard who most recently played for SYNTAINICS MBC in Germany.
He also holds double passports and played for Rasta Vechta in ProA, helping them earn a promotion to BBL.
During the 2022-23 season, he played for Brose Bamberg in Germany, competing in three competitions.
In 33 BBL games, he averaged 6.7ppg, 2.0rpg, and 1.1apg, while in 13 FIBA Europe Cup games, he posted 5.7ppg, 1.0rpg, and 1.8apg, helping his team reach the quarterfinals.
Additional Information
- Austin Reaves has an estimated net worth of around $4 million as of 2024.
- Entering his freshman season at Wichita State, Reaves underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
- Reaves has been dating his girlfriend, Jenna Barber, whom he met in high school.
