Tensions in the NBA: Do Austin Reaves and Jalen Johnson have beef?
Tensions in the NBA: Do Austin Reaves and Jalen Johnson have beef?
By Edcel Panganiban January 02, 2025 14:11
Whenever a player puts another player on a poster, it's usually targeted. Many have speculated that this could have been the case when Jalen Johnson absolutely punched the ball over Austin Reaves' head during their game in the 2023-2024 season. However, it does not look like any sort of beef is simmering between these two and it all just happened under the spirit of good fun.
It is not uncommon for journalists to ask players about their experience of getting posterized. Austin Reaves was not at all safe from this. When the query was addressed to him after the Los Angeles Lakers' showdown against the Atlanta Hawks, he had a very glib reply: "You don't want my view." Everyone in the media room and even on internet could not hold their chuckles about the situation.
There was no beef between Reaves and Johnson. It just so happened that the Lakers guard was standing below the rim when the Hawks forward took flight for his dunk. Obviously, no hard feelings were also meant during this encounter. However, Reaves did have the last laugh. Despite getting bodied by the insanely tall Eastern Conference wing, the Purple and Gold ended up stopping their losing skid by dismantling the Hawks in that fixture.
Reaves is a great example of a player who just likes to keep the game rolling. The Lakers guard kept his chin up and knew that the Hawks forward was not targeting him in any way, shape or form. His feelings did not get hurt which also meant that the Lakers were able to use positively down the stretch en route to a win.