Lakers' Reaves looks to distance himself from 'AR-15,' 'Hillbilly Kobe' nicknames

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is attempting to move away from a couple nicknames that were given to him during a strong rookie season.

While the undrafted free agent was getting significant rotation minutes for an ailing Lakers squad, Reaves was handed the nicknames "AR-15," based on his initials and jersey number, and "Hillbilly Kobe," as a reference to growing up in small-town Newark, Arkansas.

"I don't condone any gun violence that happens around our country," Reaves told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "But you can't really control what (nickname) people give you. I mean, I didn't come out and say my name was that. There's been others, like the Hillbilly Kobe, that probably aren't the best thing in the situation that's going on, with Kobe's passing."

Reaves' comments come after Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson publically removed the AR-15 nickname, adding in a Twitter post, "It is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings, which I do not condone in any way or form."

An AR-15 was the gun used in the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in May.

While Reaves will stick with his rookie number moving forward, he does hope that fans can create a new nickname that better represents his brand.

"I'm always open to new ideas," he said. "Because there is always another one that might stick and could be better than another one that was previous."