Kenny Smith dubs Austin Reaves ‘the new Jeremy Lin’

Jeremy Lin would have loved to have Austin Reaves’ NBA resume five seasons into their careers, but it’s probably not the other way around.

With LeBron James and Luka Dončić out for the Los Angeles Lakers, Reaves is putting the team on his back and proving he might be more of an offensive force than anyone thought he was capable of being. Entering this season, there was already an argument to be made that Reaves might be the best undrafted NBA player in league history. But now that he’s averaging 34 points and 10 assists per game while hitting a game-winner and scoring a career high 51, Reaves is proving he might be closer to Luka and LeBron than just a third option.

Wednesday night on Inside the NBA, however, Kenny Smith thought he came up with an even better comp for Reaves, Jeremy Lin. It happened as Smith was breaking down Reaves’ game-winner against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Inside the NBA crew reacts to Austin Reaves’ game-winner 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/eoDAKxp3FN

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 30, 2025

“And now you’re in the teeth of the defense, you could have a pass and or shot, and he had both,” Smith explained. “And he said, ‘No, I am the new Jeremy Lin, I am baby Luka, and I am shooting this shot to win.”

Ernie Johnson immediately called Smith out, letting him know “the Jeremy Lin comp is a little bit of a stretch.” Barkley similarly condemned the take, noting that Reaves has already been good for a few years.

Smith argued the comparison fits because of the current tear Reaves is on, saying, “He’s having an unbelievable week, hitting game-winners, I’m just comparing that they had great weeks.”

Lin had an incredible run during his sophomore season in the NBA when Mike D’Antoni helped to unleash the undrafted guard with the New York Knicks. But here’s the problem: Linsanity lasted about two weeks, and it was downhill for Lin from there. It was an incredible two weeks — two of the best in recent Knicks history — but it was only two weeks. Reaves, meanwhile, has already averaged 20 points per game for a full NBA season, and he’s been building to this point over five years.

Smith didn’t mean it as a way of calling Reaves a flash in the pan or a newcomer bursting on the scene; he meant it as a compliment. And to be fair, Reaves’ popularity might never reach the heights of Linsanity during those two weeks. But the comp came across as if Smith had forgotten how brief Lin’s reign as a borderline All-Star-level talent was.