Austin Reaves drops an awesome golf trick shot, puts NBA golfers on notice

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves turned heads with a recent trick shot on his TikTok golf channel, @Hillbillybogey, a reference to his old nickname "Hillbilly Kobe."

The trick shot involved Reaves, a right-handed golfer, turning a left-handed iron upside down at TopGolf to hit a shot.

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How impressive is this shot actually?

This video has garnered over 427,100 views on TikTok and 3.5 million views on Twitter, which exemplifies it's entertainment value.

TopGolf does not offer huge irons. The biggest iron most offer is a 5 iron. The back of a TopGolf range is usually about 215 yards away, and it appears Reaves hits this one about 160 on the fly. However, what makes this shot more impressive is that Reaves uses a ball provided by TopGolf with this shot. You can see the ball roll out of the dispenser before Reaves swings.

TopGolf uses balls that are specifically designed to not fly as far, in order to keep people form launching balls over their fence. Per Trackman data, TopGolf balls usually fly about eight percent shorter than regular balls, so if Reaves hit this one 160, a normal golf ball would have gone about 173. Yes, that's very impressive.

Is Austin Reaves the best golfer in the NBA?

Reaves is good. He's really good, but is he the American Century Championship title holder? I don't think so. That distinction belongs to Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry. Curry has proven himself time and time again.

Whether it's winning that aforementioned championship with an eagle on the final hole,

Finishing top-three at an amateur long-drive competition,

Or hitting a hole-in-one during a tournament,

Curry has proven that you can't get the best of him on the court or the course.

As incredible as Reaves' trick shot is, it's not a practical shot that can help you win golf tournaments. It's more of a parlor trick you pull out at places like TopGolf. In conclusion, Reaves is a great golfer. But whether he is the best in the NBA remains to be seen.

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When does Reaves play next?

Yesterday, Reaves played 20 minutes in a preseason game for the Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets. Reaves was his team's second-leading scorer with 18 points, only trailing Rui Hachimura's 19. The Lakers next preseason game is scheduled for tomorrow at 7 p.m. PT against the Sacramento Kings. You can watch that game on FuboTV.

The first regular season game for Reaves and the Lakers will be a road matchup on Tuesday, October 24, a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Finals against the reigning NBA champs, the Denver Nuggets. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 pm PT and the game will air on TNT.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers star Austin Reaves now posting golf highlights