Austin Reaves has solidified himself as a premier third option alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he was once an unheralded, undrafted rookie trying to prove his worth in the NBA. Reaves has grown immensely as a player in recent years, but the 26-year-old still couldn’t escape James’ scathing criticisms as a rookie.
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Reaves credited James for his growth as a young player but detailed how LBJ was so close on his tail that he began to grow frustrated with the 40-year-old’s constant interjections. “I’ll give Bron credit. Ever since day one, I remember my rookie year, he was on my ass for a two-week stretch, and I was getting frustrated,” Reaves said.
He revealed how James would critique him often when he would mess up in games, making Reaves feel as though LeBron was targeting him.
Reaves underlined that James wasn’t coming after him in a bad way – he just wanted the former Oklahoma guard to continue to improve. But his frustrations did grow to a point where he eventually decided to take them to former Lakers assistant coach, Phil Handy.
“I went to Phil Handy, and I was like, ‘[Lebron] needs to give me a break, I’m still learning.'” Reaves continued. “And [Handy] was like, ‘The only reason he’s on you like that is because he believes in you.'”
LeBron’s belief in Reaves has paid off, as the multi-faceted shooting guard has emerged as one of the more well-rounded wings in the association. With averages of 19.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, Reaves was mentioned by more than a few for All-Star consideration. The rising star credits James for taking him under his wing.
LeBron James always knew what Austin Reaves was capable of
LeBron has explicitly expressed his trust in Reaves in the past as the two have steadily grown more comfortable playing together. Prior to the Lakers trade for Doncic, James and Reaves were two main playmakers for Los Angeles, proving that the King has enough faith in the fourth-year guard to handle more off-ball duties.
James pointed to the Lakers’ 2023 first-round matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies as the moment Reaves gained a lot of trust from him. Los Angeles walked away from the series victorious after six games, but the story of the series was Reaves, who showed his capabilities as a postseason performer.
The Lakers will have several big roster decisions to make in the coming years, but it appears the franchise has their backcourt of the future in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
