Paul Pierce names Austin Reaves as one of his top 5 white Americans in NBA: ‘That team ain’t beating nobody’

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves made some interesting comments regarding how he views other white NBA players not long ago, explaining that there’s a stigma that exists around them.

In light of Reaves’ comments, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce rattled off his top five white Americans in the NBA today. In no particular order, Reaves was among the handful of names mentioned along with Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and Thunder defensive ace Alex Caruso.

“That team ain’t beating nobody,” Pierce said of his five selections.

Herro made the first All-Star appearance of his NBA career this season, and Pritchard is in the running for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Meanwhile, Holmgren is one of the better two-way big men in the league, and Caruso is an elite defender at his position.

One notable omission from Pierce’s list is Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis is a Lithuanian-American and Oregon native, and he’s averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the 2024-25 campaign. He did grow up in Europe, possibly leading to his omission from Pierce’s list.

It’s interesting to hear Pierce give Reaves some flowers considering Pierce’s history with the storied Lakers franchise.

Pierce grew up a fan of the Lakers but then spent much of his pro career with the Celtics. In 2008, he and the Celtics beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Later on, Pierce’s Celtics lost to the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. After that, Pierce never reached the championship series again.

Reaves can further cement himself as a rising star in the NBA if he can carry his strong play into the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Los Angeles is heading into the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers will wrap up their regular season with a game versus the lowly Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.