Austin Reaves takes unique path to Team USA
Austin Reaves takes unique path to Team USA
The undrafted third-year Lakers guard is getting an opportunity of a lifetime to play for his country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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1. Austin Reaves takes unique path to Team USA
The undrafted third-year Lakers guard is getting an opportunity of a lifetime to play for his country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp.
Watching Austin Reaves on the basketball court, you think to yourself, “Nice player, but nothing special.”
Suddenly, he’s hit three or four shots in a row or made a couple of sweet passes to a teammate leading to buckets and the thought process becomes, “Yeah, he’s pretty good.”
Not everyone travels the same road to play for their country. It’s not always about the superstars and the highly acclaimed. Sometimes, you take a divergent path to get a spot on USA Basketball’s roster.
In Reaves case, it was definitely not the usual route. He was undrafted, signed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of years ago, came off the bench playing with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, eventually evolving into a starter. He played a pivotal role in the Lakers reaching the Western Conference Finals in this year’s NBA Playoffs, ultimately getting swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
2. Anthony Davis’ record Lakers extension is a win-win for both
The Lakers signing Anthony Davis to a new record three-year, $186 million maximum contract extension made sense for both parties, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Mark Medina.
Throughout his four-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, the organization remained uncertain surrounding two important things about Anthony Davis.
Could Davis stay consistently dominant? Could Davis stay consistently healthy?
Therefore, it might appear head-scratching the Lakers would grant Davis a three-year, $186 million extension on Friday to ensure that he remains under contract through 2028. When accounting for his two-year, $84 million contract, why would the Lakers commit $270 million toward a player that has only appeared in only 194 out of a possible 308 regular-season games?
Easy. This became the most pragmatic choice for the Lakers to make given varying circumstances.
3. Circa Sports opens SlamBall betting lines
SlamBall announced that Circa Sports has been named a Founding Partner of the SlamBall League, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Will Despart.
It was only a matter of time before SlamBall got the full Las Vegas treatment. Circa Sports has announced that they will officially open betting lines for the remainder of the SlamBall season.
“We have always believed that SlamBall was a tailor made property for sports gambling, and Circa Sports coming on at this early juncture further validates and expedites this critical part of our business plan,” said SlamBall CEO Mason Gordon in today’s press release. “Our expansive partnership with Derek Stevens and the team will be amplified this upcoming weekend when live gambling on SlamBall will take place for the first time.”
The cult-classic sport made its return to airwaves this summer after several short-lived attempts throughout the last twenty years. Invented in Los Angeles by Gordon in 1999, it previously peaked in the early 2000’s while airing on the now defunct Spike TV. Often the subject of online nostalgia, SlamBall never fully left public consciousness. Even in its absence, it was one of the relics of the new millennium that remained in people’s collective memory.
4. News, notes and standouts from Chargers camp
The Chargers held their scrimmage on Sunday and there were three standouts, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez.
Sunday wasn’t the first time safety Mark Webb had created a turnover this camp. He has shown flashes of being a playmaker, but it was on display on Sunday.
He had an interception and a fumble recovery.
“Mark has been a consistent playmaker for us,” Chargers head coach Brandon Staley explained. “As you guys know, he has flashed in his two years, but some injuries have kind of sidetracked his progress. He’s been really focused.”
Questions arose before camp on whether the team should sign a safety to add depth and because there is little experience besides Derwin James and Alohi Gilman. Webb and J.T. Woods, so far, have given the team hope that they can step up.
5. US Open of Surfing delivers all the fun and all the action
The annual US Open of Surfing descended upon Southern California once again, with over 100,000 spectators in attendance, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Michael Silver.
Kaniela Stewart showcased his trademark style and flow, finessing his board through the Pacific Ocean all week. The 22-year-old Oahu, HI native confidently won the men’s final, defeating last year’s winner Taylor Jensen.
“It feels so good, being out here traveling the world doing contests. All the people getting to watch, I’m glad I give them something to do and stoked to enjoy the sun,” Steward told The Sporting Tribune.
How do you perfect your patent ‘Hang Ten’ style? “Just do it over and over pretty much, practice makes you better and never stop learning,” he shared.
It was also a family affair for longboard riders. Stewart’s cousin, 18-year-old Kelis Kaleopaa from Waikiki took top honors, winning the women’s final.
6. Angels swept by Mariners as playoff hopes dwindle
The Angels were plagued by not producing with RISP again and they fell victim to a 4-game sweep as a result, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Brandon Deutsch.
The Angels were just 4.5 games back of the division (not just the AL Wild Card) just 6 days ago after winning the first game of the series against the Atlanta Braves. After going 0-6 since then, culminating with being swept by their division rival Seattle Mariners, the Halos are now 10.5 games back of the division and 7 games back of the 3rd Wild Card spot with just 49 games to go in the season. Despite buying at the trade deadline, the Angels have lost 6 straight games following last Tuesday’s deadline and their playoff hopes are severely dwindling as a result.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today.
1:10 p.m. – Dodgers at Padres – $73
6:38 p.m. – Giants at Angels – $7
9. On the Air presented by The D Las Vegas
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today.
1:10 p.m. – Dodgers at Padres – SportsNet LA
6:38 p.m. – Giants at Angels – Bally Sports West
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Brandon Deutsch, Armani Buckets and Ji Hae Wiley as they talk about Jake and Logan Paul taking over combat sports.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!