What do NBA players do in their spare time? One answer to this question is golf: Michael Jordan was known to love the sport. These days, many players play golf on their days off, and with the number of active NBA golfers today and the sheer competitiveness of the athletes, they had to create a ranking of the best golfers in the league. So the NBA recently asked The New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson his picks for the top 2 golfers in the NBA, and his picks might surprise you: Stephen Curry And Austin Reaves.
“I’d say Steph, for sure,” the Knicks guard said. “Everybody knows Steph’s the GOAT, for sure. He can’t make a mistake.” After asking teammate Josh Hart who else plays golf in the NBA, Brunson added: “Austin Reaves! Steph, Austin Reaves, whoever you want to put third.”
Knicks star’s golf picks
The choice of Jalen Brunson makes perfect sense, given what the Warriors star and Lakers forward have done on the golf course in recent years. While most NBA players play golf to take their minds off things, Curry and Reaves might take it as seriously as their day jobs.
In 2023, Stephen Curry won the American championship of the century in typically electrifying fashion, by making an eagle on the 18th hole. Similarly, Austin Reaves made his ACC debut in 2024, his professional debut after shooting a 76 in a Korn Ferry Tour qualifying event.
However, Brunson’s ranking of NBA golfers means that the Warriors legend is a terribly gifted athlete, capable of winning in any sport. That doesn’t mean Reaves is a slacker on the court, though.
Playoff candidates
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The undrafted point guard bet on himself in 2021, declining the Detroit Pistons’ offer to draft him 42nd overall and opting to sign a two-way contract with the Lakers. After signing a standard NBA contract ahead of the 2021-22 season, he quickly became one of the bright spots in a dismal season for the Purple and Gold, who had staked nearly all of their assets on the Russell Westbrook trade.
Perhaps learning from the Westbrook debacle, the Lakers refused to trade Reaves looking for top players, despite their activity on the market leading to the acquisitions of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt.
One of the reasons for his value to the team is his quality as a player who has reached the playoffs, like other NBA golfers Stephen Curry and Jalen Brunson. In 21 playoff games, he on average 16.9 points on 46.7% field goal percentage and 40.4% from three-point range. Reaves was a key contributor to the Lakers’ run to the 2023 Conference Finals.
Despite another discouraging playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets in 2024, Reaves believes Lakers can win a championship The Lakers are still a good team, even if fans disagree. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still one of the best duos in the NBA. However, their struggles with defense, rebounding and late-game execution could send Reaves and his teammates back to the golf course in May.
