Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is one of the best golfers in the NBA, and he recently sat down with NBCLA for a rapid-fire round of golf questions. Reaves was asked to name the best and worst golfer on the Lakers, the three best ones in the NBA, his dream golf foursome, and more.
Q: “Favorite pro golfer?”
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Austin Reaves: “Jordan Spieth.”
Q: “Your best ever golf score?
Reaves: “65.”
Q: “Favorite pro golf moment you’ve ever seen live or on TV?”
Reaves: “Jordan Spieth chipping in from the bunker and winning the John Deere, I think.”
Q: “Ever shot a hole in one?”
Reaves: “Have not.”
Q: “Which Laker is the best golfer?”
Reaves: “Me.”
Q: “Second-best golfer?”
Reaves: “Probably Bronny [James].”
Q: “Who’s the worst golfer?”
Reaves: “Jarred Vanderbilt.”
Q: “Best three golfers in the NBA?”
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Reaves: “Me, Steph [Curry], and Corey Kispert.”
Q: “So could you beat Michael Jordan at golf?”
Reaves: “I would like to think so.”
Q: “Could you beat Steph Curry at golf?”
Reaves: “I would like to think so.”
Q: “[Describe in one word the golf game of] LeBron James.”
Reaves: “Learning.”
Q: “Luka [Doncic]?”
Reaves: “Also learning.”
Q: “JJ Redick?”
Reaves: “Aggressive.”
Q: “If you could golf with any three other people, alive or dead, who would it be?”
Reaves: “I’ll just keep it in the golf world. That’d be Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, and John Daly.”
Jordan Spieth is no longer one of the very best golfers around, but he has always been Reaves’ favorite, which is why he features heavily here. The 28-year-old has tried to incorporate elements of Spieth’s game into his own, and the results haven’t been too shabby.
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Reaves believes he is one of the three best golfers in the NBA along with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and Atlanta Hawks forward Corey Kispert. He also backs himself to beat Curry and Michael Jordan on the golf course.
Now, Curry actually won the American Century Championship in 2023, something Reaves hasn’t accomplished so far. For those unaware, it is the premier celebrity golf tournament. Only two current/former basketball players have ever won it: Curry and Vinny Del Negro. The two-time MVP is the top dog when it comes to golfing among NBA players.
As for the Lakers, Reaves probably would be the best. He finished tied for 16th at the 2026 ACC and is really good at golf, as mentioned earlier.
Reaves thinks Bronny James is the second-best golfer on the Lakers, which is quite interesting. James only started playing in 2025, so either he has picked up the game very quickly, or there aren’t too many good golfers on the team.
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We know Luka Doncic only started playing in 2026, and Reaves said he is still at the learning stage. Doncic has actually got his Lakers teammates to come to Slovenia for a minicamp, and they will be playing golf there. Reaves has hilariously stated he is looking forward to kicking the Slovenian’s backside. He’ll definitely wipe the floor with Jarred Vanderbilt, whom he called the worst golfer on the Lakers.
One very notable name who won’t be at that minicamp is, of course, LeBron James. James just left the Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, and he got into golf in 2025. Reaves has his former teammate at the learning stage as well.
James has admitted to being addicted to golf, and he recently shared his dream golf foursome. He had Nelly Korda (women’s World No. 1), YouTuber Robby Berger, and YouTuber and golfer Wesley Bryan.
Reaves went a different route than James, with just greats in Spieth, Tiger Woods, and John Daly.
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