Talking Ball
Self-proclaimed “NBA’s best golfer” Austin Reaves drops hilarious quote about losing to teammate D’Angelo Russell on the course
![1482690941](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2023/reaves_russell.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.644.suffix/1697638119901.jpeg)
Justin Ford
Austin Reaves is flying up the NBA golfer rankings. Earlier this fall, the Los Angeles Lakers guard anointed himself the “NBA’s best golfer” on an episode of Zach Lowe’s podcast. Soon after, the internet discovered Reaves’ golf TikTok, @hillbillybogey, where he could be found doing all sorts of incredible things with a golf club in his hands. Steph Curry reamined the undisputed king, but from the look of things, Reaves was the most likely usurper.
So it came as a surprise on Tuesday when Reaves admitted that he lost a recent golf match against teammate D’Angelo Russell. Does that mean Russell, not Reaves, is really Curry’s biggest threat in the clubhouse? Hold your horses, America. As it turns out, it’s a little more complicated than that. We’ll let Reaves, and his delightful Arkansas drawl, explain it.
Reaves was a little foggy on the specifics—“I play so much golf, it all blends together,” he told reporters—but apparently he gave Russell about “12 or 13” strokes. “So he didn’t really beat you?” asked another journalist. “Not the score but the money,” Reaves replied.
Boom, mic drop.
So there you have it. Apparently Reaves quest for the title of NBA’s best golfer is still going strong. The same, however, can’t be said for his bank account.