Shortly before the revelation of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s romance, there was an interview in which an enthusiastic Austin Reaves discussed the possibility of dating the pop star. His expressions and words hinted at a potential crush on Taylor, but her involvement with the Kansas City Chiefs’ TE was confirmed shortly thereafter. As the NBA season began, Lakers fans have started to speculate that this disappointment may be impacting Austin Reaves’ performance with the Purple & Gold.

It’s a well-known fact that players who lack motivation often struggle to deliver their best results, regardless of the sport. With the Lakers, Austin Reaves has experienced a slow start to the season, and some fans are beginning to connect the dots, pointing to this potential reason for his initial struggles.

Lakers fans expect the best from Austin Reaves

Lakers fans had high expectations for Austin Reaves, especially considering his rapid improvement, positioning him as the third most important player on the roster, following LeBron James and Anthony Davis, at the end of the last season. There was optimism that he might evolve into one of the league’s top point guards. However, the start of the current season has been a disappointment for both fans and the Lakers organization, as Reaves has yet to meet those high expectations.

In the most recent Lakers’ game, a 132-127 loss to the Sacramento Kings, fans anticipated Reaves to be a significant contributor in what turned out to be an overtime thriller. Unfortunately, only Davis and James were able to set the tone for the team. Reaves struggled, managing only five points on a 1-of-12 field goal shooting and a 1-of-8 performance from beyond the arc.

Fans online resorted to trolling Reaves by suggesting that his apparent romantic link to Travis Kelce was affecting his performance. However, it’s essential to emphasize that there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. If personal life or having a muse is posing an issue for an athlete like Reaves, the solution might be to either find a girlfriend or refocus on his professional career as an NBA player. It’s likely that Reaves will bounce back from this minor slump and showcase his regular skills as the season progresses.