Austin Reaves quickly proved his doubters wrong after he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an undrafted free agent last year.

Reaves secured a regular NBA contract before the end of the offseason thanks to his good performance over the summer. In 2021-22, the Oklahoma alum enjoyed regular playing time out of the gate — and ended up in the starting lineup toward the end of the campaign.

Reaves averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 61 games, starting 19 of them and clocking in 23.2 minutes per night — with hustle and impeccable work ethic playing the key role in the 24-year-old’s emergence.

In an interview with the L.A. Times’ Dan Woike, Reaves offered an insight into his mindset ahead of the season’s tip-off, saying he wanted to make it clear he had what it took to make it in the NBA:

“I looked [my agent] in his eyes,” Reaves said. “And I was like, ‘To tell everybody to f— off.’ My whole life, I’ve been too skinny. Not athletic enough. At one point I wasn’t skilled enough. Everybody found excuses for me not to. … It was always, ‘We’re gonna find something about him that he can’t do good enough to make it.’

“Yeah, so it was a good feeling to just tell everyone to f— off.”

Reaves has already been back in the gym this offseason, working out with other young Lakers. However, the guard has said he isn’t yet sure whether he will play for L.A. in the 2022 Summer League.