Austin Reaves talks about his rise in basketball and being teammates with LeBron

In one of Team USA's practices on Sunday in Manila, Austin Reaves was jokingly asked: When did you become the greatest player in the world?

The question was in reference to a sign made by a fan in Manila, saying "Austin Reaves > LeBron James."

Austin Lebron > Reaves James#FIBAWC x #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/4MwTbPFleu

— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ???? (@FIBAWC) August 26, 2023

"It was the sign that solidified it all," Reaves said in jest. "Me over LeBron, a balanced statement, huh?"

Kidding aside, Reaves praised his teammate from the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Me and Bron have such a good relationship. Obviously he's the greatest player ever," he said. "But hey, I appreciate the sign."

The sign may not be the peak of his career, but Reaves has been on the rise recently in global basketball.

From earning his spot on the Lakers roster, he is now part of Team USA for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Austin Reaves reacts to the “Austin Reaves > LeBron James” sign ???? #FIBAWC @gmasportsph @gmanews pic.twitter.com/iNQyd6hBTM

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) August 27, 2023

"To say the least, it's been a very amazing year for myself," he said. "A lot of good things have happened."

"I feel like it's kind of, this is well-deserved. I feel like my whole life, I've worked for this. I've never taken shortcuts, It's always the hard path," Reaves added.

Read more | Who’s in? Who’s out?: A list of NBA players playing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup

"I feel like [I] finally got rewarded for everything I've put into so far."

Reaves posted 12 points in Team USA's 99-72 win against New Zealand.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News