- Austin Reaves was trash-talked by Vaidas Kariniauskas
- The Los Angeles Lakers guard did not take it personally
- Reaves noted that trash talk is not new to him
There is no doubt that trash talk is part of professional sports, and we have frequently seen opponents throw jabs at one another. It seems as though trash talk also extends to the international stage.
We recently saw Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves be the target of some trash talk from Lithuanian player Vaidas Kariniauskas. Though some players would take that personally, it seems as though this was no issue for Reaves.
“It’s basketball. He’s competing, I’m competing. I don’t feel no type of way about him doing that… There’s been many times in my career where people have looked at me sideways, and done stuff… At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. He played a good game, they played a good game.”
“He’s competing, I’m competing. I don’t feel no type of way about [Vaidas Kariniauskas] doing that… There’s been many of times in my career where people have looked at me sideways.”
Austin Reaves on Kariniauskas taunting him 🗣️
(via @nicoleganglani) pic.twitter.com/wzFXWgqkXH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 4, 2023
It is clear that Austin Reaves was unphased by the trash talk from Vaidas Kariniauskas. He has clearly had experience with that, and perhaps we’ll see him return the favor if both Team USA and Lithuania make it to the Finals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
During the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Austin Reaves averaged 10.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 46.2% from 3PT range. There is no doubt that Reaves has had a solid campaign thus far, and it will be interesting to see how he does for the rest of the tournament.
Austin Reaves’ Brother Told Vaidas Kariniauskas To Trash Talk Him
There is no doubt that the trash talk from Vaidas Kariniauskas toward Austin Reaves did not have a personal element in it. Previously, Kariniauskas revealed that Austin Reaves’ brother told him to talk trash to the Lakers star.
“Nothing personal, just love for the game,” Kariniauskas said. “I played with his brother last year, so I talked with him before the game, he said ‘Give him a trash talk.’ So I gave him that.”
At the end of the day, it is easy to see why Kariniauskas decided to talk some trash during the game. He had 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists at the end of the game against Team USA, and shot 100% from 3PT range. He had a fantastic performance, and we’ll see if Kariniauskas can replicate a similar performance against Serbia.
Austin Reaves Has Earned The Respect Of His Teammates On Team USA
There is no doubt that Austin Reaves has shown that he is a great player, and many respect him after his playoff performances with the Los Angeles Lakers and his time with Team USA thus far. In fact, Anthony Edwards called Austin Reaves a “real hooper”, and praised the guard for his consistency.
“Austin plays great every night, there’s nothing new. He’s a hooper, man, there’s nothing surprising.”
Austin Reaves is on the rise, and it is quite possible that he will become a star-level player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the future. His development will be paramount to the Lakers’ pursuit of a championship, and they can definitely be one of the favorites if he can produce at a high level.
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