Austin Reaves had the opportunity to play for Germany’s FIBA team and contribute to their undefeated record. However, he ultimately chose to play for Team USA instead.
This Friday, Team USA will face off against Germany in the FIBA World Cup semi-finals, with the goal of ending Germany’s impressive run.
Reaves, who is a guard for the Lakers, admitted that he was seriously considering playing for the German team if he hadn’t received an offer from Steve Kerr’s USA team.
His former teammate, Dennis Schroder, played a significant role in trying to convince the 25-year-old to represent Germany.
“Throughout the year, Dennis kept asking me about the possibility of me playing for the German team in the future, and I was open to it,” Reaves said during a Team USA practice on Thursday. “However, I made it clear that I wouldn’t play this summer because I needed to rest after our long season…
“Then the opportunity to play for the USA presented itself, and Dennis was the first person I reached out to. I told him about the opportunity and that I couldn’t say no to it. I wanted to let him know before it became public, and he was incredibly supportive. He congratulated me and everything. So, if this opportunity hadn’t come up, playing for Germany in the future could have been a possibility.”
Last month, we saw former USA representative Eric Gordon switch allegiances and play for the Bahamas, ultimately helping the country secure its first-ever Olympic basketball berth.
Therefore, it is entirely possible that Reaves could play for Germany in the future, as he mentioned.
As a shooting guard from Arkansas, Reaves might not be accustomed to pretzels and giant beers, which are more traditionally associated with Germany.
Image Source: Austin Reaves @ Instagram
