Austin Reaves remains on the sidelines for the Los Angeles Lakers as he recovers from a calf strain injury. In the meantime, the rising NBA star made some off-court moves as he aligned himself with a popular local-based clothing brand.
Austin Reaves Cashes In Off the Court as Lakers Guard Becomes YoungLA’s First NBA Athlete
Reaves is going through the fifth season of his career with the Lakers, shining as one of the team’s best scorers. He is enjoying a contract year as he will earn a big contract in the 2026 offseason, whether it’s with the Lakers or another team.
That won’t stop the star guard from getting more endorsement deals to his name. Which is why he is partnering with YoungLA, a popular Los Angeles clothing brand, as he revealed in a Jan. 23 social media video.
“What’s up everybody. This is Austin Reaves, point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers and your newest YoungLA athlete,” Reaves said in the video. It marks a significant achievement for the clothing brand, as it signs its first NBA player in the company’s history.
“We made it to the big leagues 😤 Introducing out first NBA athlete to the YoungLA family,” the post read.
YoungLA has existed since 2014 and earned over $100 million in annual sales in 2023, according to Models Net Worth. Athletes who signed with the clothing brand include UFC champions Sean O’Malley and Jon Jones, boxing icon Tyson Fury, and Mr. Olympia Chris Bumstead. They also have influence in the music sphere, partnering with rapper YG to promote the brand.
What Lies Ahead for Reaves and Lakers?
This marks a big decision for Austin Reaves to make off the court, seeing YoungLA as a big opportunity to promote himself and the brand to the Lakers community. It stands out as the 27-year-old continues to make a name for himself as a star in the NBA.
In the meantime, he hopes to get back to full strength as he approaches a return to the court. He hasn’t appeared in a Lakers game since their Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets, where he suffered a calf strain. Since a month has passed, his ability to come back into the team’s rotation soon is very likely.
Before the injury, Reaves had been playing at an All-Star level for the Lakers. In the 23 games he took part, he was averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. He is shooting 50.7% from the field, including 36.5% from beyond the arc, and 87.3% from the free-throw line.
MORE: Is Austin Reaves Playing Tonight? Latest Injury Update on Lakers Star Ahead of Mavericks Clash
The Lakers stay firm in the playoff race while competing with other Western Conference contenders. The team has a 26-17 record at the moment, sitting at fifth place in the West standings. They are in a three-way tie with the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves, trailing the Houston Rockets by 1 game and the Denver Nuggets by 3.5 games.
The Lakers progress through a long eight-game road trip as they prepare for their next two games. They face the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET and the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. ET.
Mr street clothes should have been learning how to play defense