• Austin Reaves joined the Lakers as an undrafted rookie ahead of the 2021-22 season
• Rajon Rondo was also on the Lakers roster for the 21-22 season
• Reaves gave Rondo major credit for mentoring him in the time they shared together
Austin Reaves and LeBron James will always be linked due to LeBron taking an interest in developing Reaves’ skill set, but the Lakers guard has revealed he learned the most from Rajon Rondo during their half-season spell as teammates in 2021.
“First year, he was only here for half a year, but (Rajon) Rondo was someone I asked a billion questions a day to. He’s an IQ guy and Frank Vogel told me when I signed my deal, he sent me back on the plane, and he wanted me to be where he was (Rondo) and ask him questions. He probably taught me the most. The amount of time I was with him. If we were out of practice for 45 minutes, I’ve asked him 20-30 questions.”
Austin Reaves says he’s learned the most from former teammate Rajon Rondo since joining the Lakers 🔥
Rondo should be on an NBA roster pic.twitter.com/NlenB4XxVy
— NBALakersReport (@NBALakersReport) August 14, 2023
Rondo was a 2020 championship winner with the Lakers and was brought back for the doomed 2021-22 season, where he failed to make an on-court impact. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 2022 and finished the season with them. He’s since not signed a new NBA contract with anyone.
The two-time champion averaged 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists over his Lakers tenure, leaving a profound impact on Reaves despite only sharing a locker room for three months.
Does Austin Reaves Have Another Leap In Him?
Reaves broke out as one of the NBA’s most intriguing prospects last season, rising from an undrafted rookie to shouldering a major offensive load on a team that made the Western Conference Finals in his two seasons in the NBA. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in the playoffs.
He’s currently killing it for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, giving them solid minutes off the bench. Even though he’s entering his third year in the NBA, Reaves is already 25 years old and may start plateauing soon. Up until then, the Lakers’ guard will hope to maximize his development. He signed a four-year contract with the Lakers this summer.
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