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There’s a consciousness of pridefulness progressive here, truthful Malik Monk wants it spelled retired clearly: It wasn’t Austin Reaves who bushed him successful the 2013 Arkansas 2A authorities title final.
It was Spencer Reaves, his older brother, doing the bulk of the work.
“We were some ninth graders then,” Monk said of Austin, who was sitting successful earshot aft a Lakers signifier arsenic helium offered his broadside of the past to a reporter. “But helium didn’t lend for sure. I privation that spelled out.”
It’s a petty distinction, but adjacent Reaves has to agree: While it was a bully time for Cedar Ridge High, ending East Poinsett County’s tally of 3 consecutive championships, helium had precise small to bash with it.
“I deliberation helium scored 25 points successful that game; I scored, like, three.” Reaves laughed. “But it’s ever bully to triumph the game. That’s the main goal, anyway.”
My paper @Cossey70 person took this photograph erstwhile Malik Monk @AhmadMonk (EPC)& Austin Reaves @reavesaustin31 (Cedar Ridge)where 9th graders successful the authorities title game. Classic photograph for the antheral cave. pic.twitter.com/BBUMR4jcyD
— brian parrish (@brianparrish86) February 26, 2021
That crippled — the lone clip the 2 Arkansas natives went head-to-head successful their careers — is past past now. A photograph of the 2 then-prep hoopers gained online traction aft Monk and Reaves coiled up connected the Lakers roster this fall, of the young prodigy Monk shoving an elbow successful the gut of a scrawny Reaves, who was a agelong mode distant from being immoderate benignant of well-regarded imaginable astatine the time.
That fabled authorities rubric crippled whitethorn bring up aged wounds present and then, but these days, the 2 23-year-olds are defined much by what they person successful communal than the 1 clip they met arsenic adversaries.
For the Lakers, some young players person stepped up connected a veteran, injury-stricken roster to play large minutes successful the 3-3 start. Monk deed a go-ahead changeable successful Tuesday’s triumph implicit San Antonio adjacent the extremity of regulation, portion Reaves knocked successful 7 points and wrestled for a brace of leap balls that showed his grit Friday against the Cavaliers.
Frank Vogel lauded some Friday, saying the Lakers “have a ton of confidence” successful Monk, a fourth-year erstwhile lottery pick, and adding Reaves has been “outstanding for america connected some sides of the ball.” But the biggest supporters of each subordinate mightiness beryllium each other: Monk and Reaves person rapidly bonded implicit their roots to tiny towns successful the aforesaid football-crazed authorities that has produced much than its just stock of hoops legends.
“It’s not conscionable that we some made it to the NBA; it’s that we play for the biggest enactment ever to play the game,” Monk said. “I don’t deliberation thing similar this volition ever hap again.”
The crux of the agelong odds: Reaves hails from Newark, portion Monk was calved successful Lepanto — some person populations of less than 1,200 people, with lone astir 77 miles betwixt them.
Reaves described Newark arsenic “a no-stoplight town,” and his graduating people was astir 50 people. When Monk transferred to Bentonville arsenic a sophomore, a precocious schoolhouse with a larger enrollment than Lepanto’s full colonisation (per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette), helium said: “I seen mode much cars than I ever had seen successful my life.”
It mightiness beryllium adjacent much improbable that some coiled up connected the hardwood alternatively of the gridiron oregon the diamond. Reaves had a birthright: Both of his parents played hoops astatine Arkansas State, with his parent Nicole Wilkett earning All-Conference honors arsenic a senior. Spencer Reaves went connected to play astatine Central Missouri and overseas successful Germany. Austin truly was pursuing successful the household footsteps.
Monk’s determination wasn’t truly made for him. His brother, Marcus Monk, was a standout receiver who inactive holds the squad touchdown grounds (27) for the Razorbacks. But successful 2007 during what was expected to beryllium a non-contact practice, Monk was tackled by a teammate and needed country to repair his knee.
“That was erstwhile my momma told maine to halt playing everything other (besides basketball), due to the fact that helium got hurt,” Malik Monk said. “You can’t not perceive to your momma.”
Monk rapidly caught steam successful Arkansas, filling up Bentonville’s gym, and earning McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic invites. He was a sensation successful his sole twelvemonth astatine Kentucky, averaging astir 20 points per crippled connected his mode to All-American status. When helium was drafted No. 11 wide by Charlotte, helium joined the ranks of Arkansas natives successful the league, including Scottie Pippen, Derrick Fisher, Mike Conley and Joe Johnson.
Reaves’ roadworthy to the NBA was overmuch much slow-going. He won a authorities MVP arsenic a senior, and his assemblage vocation chopped done Wichita State and Oklahoma arsenic helium gradually earned much and much esteem. But Monk ever respected Reaves’ game, helium said, and made a constituent to enactment successful interaction and spot him, particularly erstwhile helium rolled done Oklahoma City.
“I knew what helium could do, particularly erstwhile helium got the shot successful his hands much astatine Oklahoma,” helium said. “I wasn’t truly surprised. He’s ace solid, and helium don’t marque that galore mistakes.”
The Lakers person felt the aforesaid mode truthful acold about Reaves arsenic a rookie, thrusting him into rotation minutes arsenic injuries mount. Monk has besides seen a larger-than-expected role, starting 2 games successful spot of LeBron James and providing a needed scoring punch from agelong range.
Off the court, they’ve been accelerated friends. They’re looking guardant someday to getting unneurotic successful their location authorities to thrust connected four-wheelers, oregon formal up successful camo for a duck hunt — “typical Arkansas stuff,” Monk explained.
In the meantime, they’ve stopped ribbing each different astir the past. The representation itself makes them some smile.
“It’s conscionable looking backmost and seeing wherever we travel from,” Reaves said. “We was adjacent talking astir it yesterday, 2 kids from tiny towns successful Arkansas playing for the Lakers, and playing unneurotic astatine points during the game, reminiscing connected those times and seeing however it’s peculiar now.”
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