In a recent chat with the media, Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves gave his honest take on the stigma surrounding white players in the NBA. Instead of arguing against the generalization, Reaves confirmed that there’s a hint of truth in the claim.
“You know, as a white guy in the NBA, I sometimes look at white players and I’m like, ‘They’re not very good.’ So, it’s a stigma that I think is real,” said Reaves, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Guys like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are changing the narrative, but there’s still an overwhelming belief across the league that white players are easy pickings for opposing defenses, who often target them for easy shots around the rim.
It’s not the case for every white player, but Lakers head coach JJ Redick knows all too well what comes with being targeted and attacked every night on the floor.
“I think every guy in our shoes has experienced some level of this where you’re going to be tested,” said Redick. “And truthfully, no matter how many times you pass that test, you’re going to be tested again.”
Today, the NBA has a pretty wide demographic, but over 70% of the players are black/African American. That’s a drastic increase from the 1970s, when close to 50% of the league’s players were white. As the league got better and deeper with talent, we saw more and more black athletes take over the headlines, and it gave the impression to some that one race in particular has an advantage in the sport.
Looking through NBA history, most of the NBA’s all-time top players are black, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson. For most of NBA history, teams have been predominantly black due to certain stereotypes about white players being less athletic and naturally skillful.
Slowly but surely, that stigma has been challenged, and Austin Reaves is the latest example. His game failed to impress in college, and he went undrafted before the Lakers called him to offer a contract. Initially, Reaves was supposed to be a fringe rotation player, used similarly to how Redick was in his playing days: as a pure catch-and-shoot player in the backcourt.
Today, however, Austin has emerged as a core member of the Lakers and one of their three leading stars. This season is his best as a pro with 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 458% shooting.
As a white athlete who lacks the size and strength of his peers, Reaves has found a way to prosper on the Lakers thanks to his hard work, determination, and skills as a scorer. Despite his elite play lately, Reaves is continually targeted every game by opponents who don’t trust that his game can hold up.
So far, however, he’s become the exception to the narrative, and it just goes to show how unbothered he is by the racial stereotypes. In his four years as a Laker, Austin has blocked out all the doubters, and he’s emerged as one of the top scoring guards in the NBA. Between him and Luka Doncic, the Lakers will ensure that all players (regardless of race) will get the respect they deserve on the court.
