LeBron James didn’t blink, pause, or soften his tone. When a reporter asked him after the Lakers’ win over Dallas what still impresses him about Austin Reaves, he dropped one of his most honest lines of the season.
“Nothing. I told y’all how long ago that AR can f***ing play ball. When was he a rookie? Yeah, I’ve been telling y’all he can ball. It’s nothing. He’s great.”
It sounded blunt, but in reality, it was the highest form of praise. LeBron wasn’t dismissing Reaves. He was telling everyone that none of this is surprising to him. He saw Reaves’ talent years ago, long before the league understood what the Lakers had.
LeBron has rarely trusted young players. Even his best partnerships came with stars who were already established. Kyrie Irving was already an All-Star when LeBron joined the Cavaliers. In Miami, he linked with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Reaves, on the other hand, arrived as an undrafted rookie in 2021 with nothing guaranteed except a two-way contract and a chance.
It didn’t take long for LeBron to notice something different. Reaves’ feel for the game, his poise, and his confidence stood out immediately. In the 2023 playoffs, in Game 1 against Memphis, LeBron handed him the ball in the fourth quarter. Reaves delivered, scoring clutch buckets and famously yelling, ‘I’m him.’
That was the moment the partnership became real. If LeBron gives you the ball in a tight playoff game, you’re stamped. And Reaves has never disappointed him since.
This season, he has taken another leap. Against the Mavericks, he erupted for 38 points on 12-of-15 shooting, in one of the most efficient scoring nights the Lakers have seen from a guard. He added eight rebounds, three assists, and controlled long stretches of the game while Luka Doncic torched his former team with 35 points and 11 assists.
Reaves is playing like a full-fledged star. He’s had a 51-point game this year, followed by a 41-point night, and already has five 30-point performances. His averages reflect that jump: 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists over 15 games, numbers that put him in early All-NBA conversations.
The fascinating part is how seamlessly he does it next to Doncic and LeBron. He doesn’t force shots, doesn’t hunt stats, and doesn’t shrink when the team needs him. His ability to score efficiently from all three levels, draw fouls, create advantages, and playmake out of pick-and-rolls has given the Lakers a third offensive engine.
And LeBron, who has played with Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers, treats him like a peer.
The Lakers, now 14-4 and rolling through the NBA Cup and the regular season, thrive because of that trust. Reaves has earned every ounce of it. LeBron’s answer wasn’t dismissive at all. It was a reminder.
This is who Austin Reaves is supposed to be.
LeBron knew it years ago. The rest of the NBA is finally catching up.
