Basketball has become quite a global game over the last couple of decades. It has resulted in a much more competitive field for Team USA basketball during international play, such as the 2024 Summer Olympics, which are currently taking place in Paris. But more importantly, it has also meant a much wider fan base for the NBA.
Los Angeles Lakers fans were amazed years ago to see the reception the late great Kobe Bryant got when he visited China, a massive nation with over one billion people that was once a dead zone when it came to basketball fandom.
Just days ago, Lakers guard Austin Reaves went to China as part of a tour through Asia with Rigorer, the company that makes his signature sneaker. He was engulfed by fans there who were looking to get his autograph.
Manila mayor Austin Reaves is back in Asia https://t.co/UugpngFzeW pic.twitter.com/LpvfN3PVQL
— Nicole Ganglani (@nicoleganglani) July 27, 2024
While Reaves may never make an NBA All-Star team, a basketball player knows he has truly arrived when he has his own signature sneaker and gets mobbed by fans in foreign countries as Reaves has.
