ESPN’s yearly preseason player ranking recently unveiled its list of the NBA’s top 100 players for the upcoming season. Reaves’s brother, Spencer, had an opinion on ESPN’s player ranking for his younger brother, as he told Mirin Fader of The Ringer.

Surprisingly, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves secured the 66th spot, which may raise eyebrows considering his impressive performance as one of the key players for Team USA during this summer’s FIBA World Cup.

“I can say this confidently,” Spencer Reaves stated. “[Austin] would never come out and say this, but he would look at the list and be like, ‘I’m actually higher than 66.'”

It’s not groundbreaking for an NBA player to believe they should be ranked higher than what the media suggests, and it’s essential to recognize that this reflects Spencer Reaves’ perspective on how his brother might react to the ranking, rather than Austin Reaves’ actual ranking.

Austin Reaves had a breakout season with the Lakers, posting impressive averages of 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, along with excellent shooting percentages (53/40/86). He firmly established himself as the Lakers’ third-best player alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and he continued to ascend with an outstanding summer performance for Team USA.

Reaves is determined to carry that momentum into the 2023-24 NBA season, having signed a new contract with the Lakers during the offseason, potentially keeping him in Los Angeles until 2027.

The Lakers, led by Austin Reaves, will kick off their season against the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, on Tuesday, October 24th.