Before being teammates with LeBron James, Austin Reaves was one of the many detractors to have a strong aversion against the King. However, during the latest interview while on the golf course, Reaves revealed that the 6ft 9 forward’s dominance during the 2017-2018 season made him stop “hating” the latter.
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During this interview, Reaves revealed that he would often ask James about the latter’s greatest campaign. Using athleticism, skill, and knowledge as the parameters, the guard admitted that James’ greatest performance came during the 2017-2018 campaign. The 26-year-old witnessed James dominate this season and realized that it was time he stopped “hating” the four-time MVP.
“For me, his greatest year was the year that they lost to KD and Steph and them in the finals. Like, that was the year I finally was like, you know what? I gotta stop hating,” Reaves revealed.
Reaves said he had to stop hating after watching 2018 LeBron 😂 pic.twitter.com/3MDOQSM1xg
— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) September 27, 2024
Bron did have a one-of-a-kind performance during the 2017-2018 season. He led the league in minutes played per game, suiting up for all 82 games. James also put his versatility on display, playing numerous positions throughout the campaign, and averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game (oldest player to ever record these splits). He also finished 2nd in MVP voting that year.
The Akron Hammer even led a not-so-great roster to a 50-win season, qualifying for the postseason as the #4 seed. Across 22 playoff games, James upped his performance – 34 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9 assists per game – and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance.
Reaves, who had always been a massive Kobe Bryant fan, joined many former naysayers in stopping their hate for James, despite the latter being swept in the Finals.
Reaves would often troll James on social media as a kid
Reaves grew up a die-hard Kobe Bryant fan. His admiration for the Lakers superstar would result in LeBron getting caught in the crossfire.
During his early teenage years, Reaves took to Facebook and attacked James’ legacy for not having any rings in his trophy cabinet. As seen in the embed below, a photo from 2012 went viral in which Reaves posted a Bryant meme that called out LBJ for having “no ring”.
“When I need some peace and quiet I set my phone to LeBron mode, no ring,” the graphic read.
Austin Reaves posting this on Facebook in 2012 and now LeBron is his teammate 😅 pic.twitter.com/wdIZ8zT6Nk
— Fanatics Sportsbook (@FanaticsBook) March 13, 2023
Seems like Reaves was one of the many naysayers who LBJ silenced after winning the title in 2012.
After the two became teammates years later, Reaves addressed the elephant in the room. Just as his social media activity from 2012 gained traction, the guard apologized to his teammate and justified his actions.
“I called Bron over and was like, ‘Look, I was sh*ting on you back in 2012. I was a Kobe fan’. [James] just laughed it off,” Reaves recollected.
LeBron and Reaves have not allowed this minor incident to affect the strong bond that they have. Instead, the two have an improved on-court and off-court chemistry, with the guard even revealing how he turns to the 4x MVP to improve his own game.
