Basketball
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NBA professional Reaves wants to play for Germany
NBA professional Austin Reaves (r) can imagine playing for Germany.
Photo: Ashley Landis/AP/dpa
The Angels Austin Reaves has been a key player for the Los Angeles Lakers since last season, with occasional starts. The 24-year-old has a German grandmother.
NBA professional Austin Reaves from the Los Angeles Lakers would like to play for the German national basketball team in the future.
“I want that one day. I don’t know when that day will come, whether this summer, next summer or the summer after. I have to talk to my people but it would be cool and it’s something that I and Dennis (Schröder) talked about a lot,” said the 24-year-old after the Lakers’ win against the Golden State Warriors of the German Press Agency.
Reaves, whose older brother Spencer plays for Bamberg in the basketball Bundesliga, has a German grandmother. “I have citizenship. I just have to hand in my papers, my brother did that a few months ago,” reported the point guard after his good game with 17 points and a 100% hit rate.
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He has not yet had intensive contact with the German association. “I met one of the coaches last summer and we chatted a bit via text, but it wasn’t much,” he said.
Regarding the chances that he would be ready for the World Cup from August 25 to September 10, 2023 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, he said: “I’m busy with what’s happening here and I don’t think about it that much .” Not many would have believed that he would even get into this position. “I haven’t thought about it much yet, but it’s something I’d like to do in the future.”
National team captain Schröder told the German Press Agency that he would help Reaves as soon as he received a signal from his teammate. “He would like to, but this year is his contract year and he has to watch it,” said Schröder, referring to Reave’s expiring contract with the Lakers. “We don’t need to annoy him now and put pressure on him.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230224-99-720087/2
