LeBron James recently faced criticism for missing a lob that would have been an easy dunk in his younger years. Austin Reaves was made the butt of all jokes, with many pointing out that he seemingly forgot his teammate is now 40 years old. However, tonight, Reaves got the perfect opportunity to silence the detractors and have the last laugh.
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Reaves threw a lob for James during a fastbreak opportunity in the dying moments of the Lakers-Nets clash. The latter didn’t make any mistakes this time and finished the highlight play with an emphatic dunk, giving his team a seven-point lead.
Following the game, Reaves dedicated this play to the naysayers with a snarky comment.
“I seen some people trolling online last game the first lob I tried to throw him. They said ‘he’s 40 and I forgot that’. So y’all enjoy that one,” Reaves said in the postgame interview.
Austin Reaves on his alley-oop to LeBron:
“I seen some people trolling online last game the first lob I tried to throw him. They said he’s 40 and I forgot that so y’all enjoy that one.”
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 18, 2025
Critics amplified the missed dunk. Setting the age factor aside, every player is bound to commit a blunder occasionally. What LeBron James has been achieving at his age is unprecedented in the game.
Credit must also go to Reaves for delivering a perfectly placed lob. This season, especially since Christmas, the 6ft 5″ guard has shown remarkable growth in his playmaking abilities. Averaging 8.9 assists per game during this stretch, Reaves has stepped up impressively, ensuring the Lakers don’t feel the absence of D’Angelo Russell.
But tonight, it was his scoring that captivated the basketball world. The 26-year-old scored a career-high 38 points, prompting an immediate congratulatory message from James.
“We needed every bucket that he had tonight, but just the momentum and the way he was playing, it was just in a rhythm, so we needed it from him… I love every moment that he’s given the opportunity to go out and showcase his talent with the best players in the world, and he’s showing every night that he belongs,” James said in the locker room interview.
With the Purple & Gold facing a challenging stretch of games against elite defensive teams in the coming week, JJ Redick will hope that Reaves can deliver several more performances like this to help secure victories.
