Shannon Sharpe coins new Kobe Bryant-inspired nickname for Austin Reaves after Thunder rout

NFL legend-turned-sports analyst Shannon Sharpe gave Austin Reaves a Kobe Bryant-inspired nickname. The LA Lakers took on the OKC Thunder on Sunday night. Despite the Thunder being the number one seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers defeated them with a landslide 126-99 victory.

While Luka Doncic led the charge for the Purple and Gold on Sunday, Austin Reaves has once again proven that he is a player they can count on to help win games. AR was the second-best player on the Lakers squad, adding 20 points, three assists, one steal, and one block.

Because of his solid performance against OKC, Shannon Sharpe couldn't help but give Reaves his flowers. Sharpe previously predicted that if the Lakers ever faced the Golden State Warriors, LA would win in five games. Sunday's victory further proved his predictions likely to be true.

The NFL legend then emphasized that AR has been a massive part of the Lakers's rotation and compared him to the late great Kobe Bryant.

"Our third-best player is the GOAT in the NBA,"Sharpe said about Reaves. "And he's been our third-best. Luka (Doncic), Kobe out of Ozark (Austin Reaves), and GOAT (LeBron) James. Boy y'all in a heap of trouble."

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Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves upstage best team in Western Conference

The LA Lakers have once again proven why they won the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade back in February. On Sunday night, they annihilated the OKC Thunder. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves led the Lakers to a 126-99 victory.

Doncic was LA's best player on Sunday night. Luka "Magic" was at work once again, adding 30 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Supporting him on offense was "Kobe out of Ozark" Austin Reaves. AR has proven to be a star-caliber player in the second half of this season. Reaves put up 20 points, three assists, one steal, and one block.

While he was the third-best player on the team on Sunday, LeBron James still gave a solid outing to help beat OKC. James added 19 points, seven assists, three rebounds and one steal. Finally, James can take a back seat after all these years and rely on his teammates to take over games.

The LA Lakers — third in the West — have four games remaining in the regular season. Winning their next games will allow them to secure the third seed in the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs.