Riaan Isikhathi, Austin Reaves ubelokhu ezizwa, angalinda. Umdlalo uza kuqala, olandelayo udlale indawo yokuqala.
Ukuzindla kungokwakamuva.
Kungumqondo ovumela ukuthi akukho kulokhu ukuthi kuke kuzizwe kukhulu kakhulu, ukuthi bekuhlale kwenzeka ukuthi othile ovela edolobheni elincane lasemapulazini abe ngontanga enabadlali abahamba phambili be-basketball emhlabeni.
Njengakwinhlolokhono yakhe engekho emthethweni no Lakers ngesikhathi se-minicamp yaseLas Vegas, uReaves akazange ame lapho ezithola egadile Anthony Davis eposini ngesikhathi somdlalo wokuqala weqembu wokuthatha.
“Ekhanda lami kufana nokuthi, ‘Mntwana, uzama ukungigada? Udinga ukushintsha. Uzimisele?’” UDavis etshela i-Los Angeles Times. “Ngithola ibhola, ngiyamehlisa futhi uyangiphuca lona.”
Kodwa lena, ngeSonto ebusuku eLos Angeles, yayidinga ukuvunywa.
Njengoba iReaves ihole iLakers ngekota yesine yomdlalo okufanele uwine ngokumelene ne Orlando Magic, wapheqela ibhola kuhupho ngemuva kokudonsa kabi. Njengoba eguquguquka futhi isixuku sihlabelela “MVP,” wabheka ezinkundleni ukuze athole abangani bakhe abakhulu iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20, uTrent Swaim noKeaton Wheeler, bejabule olwandle lwabalandeli beLakers.
“Cishe kuhle kakhulu ukuba yiqiniso,” kusho uReaves etshela i-Times.
UTrent Swaim, kwesobunxele, noKeaton Wheeler, abangani baka-Austin Reaves, abakhulele e-Arkansas nonogada bakwaLakers.
(Dan Woike / Los Angeles Times)
NgeSonto, uthole amaphuzu aphezulu angama-35 kuLakers’ 111-105 ukunqoba ngokumelene no-Orlando, unogada ongabhalwanga ovela edolobheni elincane lase-Arkansas elimaphakathi e-Los Angeles nabangane abakhathalela kakhulu abagubha naye.
“Lokho kuyingozi kakhulu,” kusho uDavis.
UReaves ukhombise izingxenye ezahlukene zomdlalo wakhe ohlaselayo. Ufike enqenqemeni, washiya abadlali basemuva bebambe ongezansi ngomsebenzi wakhe wonyawo futhi wakha isikhala wabe esethintana naye ukuze afike kulayini wokuphonsela mahhala izikhathi eziningi eziyi-18. I-Magic, njengeqembu, idubule abangu-17 kuphela.
Ngaphambi kokuthi uReaves afakele izihlwele ugesi ngokwenza obekungacabangeki, uSwaim ushiye uReaves ehlabeke umxhwele ngokuqeda i-Los Angeles Marathon emahoreni angu-4 nemizuzu engu-18 nakuba engakaze agijime amamayela angu-26.2 ngaphambilini, elwa namajaqamba emilenzeni kumamayela ayisithupha nangaphezulu.
Ngemuva komjaho, uSwaim ungene endlini kaReaves, wageza imizuzu engu-30 wasebenzisa igiya lokutakula imisipha elinikezwe omunye wabadlali ababalulekile beLakers.
Unogada weLakers u-Austin Reaves ubungaza eduze komgadli we-Orlando u-Paolo Banchero ngemuva kokushaya igoli ngesiwombe sesibili ngeSonto.
(UMarcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
Ngandlela thize wafinyelela emdlalweni. Futhi ngandlela thize, waphuma esihlalweni sakhe njengoba uReaves ehamba.
“Kungokokuqala ukuthi uTrent e-LA, umdlalo wokuqala eze lapha,” kusho uReaves. “Ukuze yena noKeaton babe lapha ngenxa yalokhu…lapho ngithola ibhakede futhi laliboshwe ngomzuzu noma yini esele, ngaphosa amehlo phezulu lapho. Futhi ugijime ibanga elide kulokhu ukusa, wabuya esesimweni esibi kakhulu futhi akakwazanga ukuma.
“Kodwa wayemi ngezinyawo, izandla zisemoyeni. Cishe bekukuhle kakhulu ukuba yiqiniso. ”
Nokho, kuleli qophelo, noma yiziphi izimanga ezivela kuReaves cishe ziwumphumela wokungazi lutho ngomdlalo wakhe.
Wakhe ubuhlobo obuqinile noDavis kanye LeBron James ngesikhathi sakhe neqembu, futhi kulesi sigaba sokugcina lapho uJames ebekwe eceleni, udlale ibhola lomnqakiswano elingcono kakhulu lomsebenzi wakhe we-NBA.
Ukugqashuka kwakhe ngamaphuzu angu-35 kuqhamuke ekwelapheni kwemidlalo yokushaya amaphuzu enamadijithi ayisikhombisa anedijithi ephindwe kabili. Selokhu uJames alimala eDallas emasontweni amathathu edlule, uReaves usethole amaphuzu angaphansi kwe-13 kanye nje, iLakers 6-5 kuleyo midlalo.
Ekuhloleni okuseqophelweni okunethemba elikhulu kuze kube manje, umqeqeshi uDarvin Ham wakhuluma kusengaphambili ngokuthi “nini” uJames wayezobuya, ukungabibikho kwegama elithi “uma” eliphawulekayo.
“Yebo, silindele ukuthi uzobuya ngesinye isikhathi,” kusho uHam.
UJames ubhale kuTwitter that Reaves is “A BAD MUTHA…SHUT YO MOUTH!!! UNYAZILWEZULU!!” ngemva kokuwina.
Kulo mdlalo ubemamatheka ehlezi esihlalweni ekugcineni kwebhentshi leqembu, imilenze yakhe iphambana, izingalo zigoqe edolweni ngesikhathi izihlwele zicula uReaves ngengoma ethi “MVP”.
“Ukuzwa lesi sixuku sicula i-MVP, bekunyakazisa inkundla yonke,” kusho uSwaim. Bekuyinto oyibonayo…angikaze ngiyibone into efana nayo. Bekuhlanya.”
“Uyahlanya,” kusho uWheeler ngenkathi enikina ikhanda.
Ukuwina kuphushele i-Lakers (35-27) ukuthi ibuyele kwabayi-10 abaphezulu eNtshonalanga, uma nje ngengxenye, ngemuva kokulahlekelwa yi-Houston ne-Dallas kwehlise umfutho iqembu elase liwakhile kusukela umnqamulajuqu wokuhweba.
Idinga ukumisa lokho kuhlulwa kubili nje, iReaves ithole amaphuzu ayi-13 kwesesine, okuhlanganisa ne-10 yokugcina yamaLakers ukuze iphumelele.
Isixuku sazisa uReaves ukuthi akekho omunye owayebaluleke kakhulu.
“Ngokusobala abayena umdlali osezingeni le-MVP, labo bafana bahle impela,” esho, “kodwa ukuthi bangenzele lokho kubalulekile, kusho lukhulu kimina.”
Futhi kusho nakakhulu ngoba abangani abaseduze bakaReaves bathole ukuzwa lokho naye.
“Awusoze wafuna ukukuthatha njengento nje ndoda futhi akakuthathi kalula,” kusho uDavis ngoReaves. “Uyawuthanda umdlalo. Uphila okwamanje.”
Futhi umzuzu ngeSonto? I-Reaves eyodwa azivumele ukuthi ahlale kuyo isikhashana nje eside.
