Austin Reaves is entering his fifth season as a teammate of LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has certainly liked the experience so far. Reaves was asked what it is like to play with James on SiriusXM NBA Radio, and he spoke about how he inspires his teammates.
“He’s been doing this for a long time,” Reaves said. “He’s had a lot of teammates, and just the confidence that he can give you, it is LeBron James. At the end of the day, if not the greatest player ever, one of the greatest players ever. He has the ability to come up to somebody and bring their confidence up.
“All these people that is on our team, or really in the league, they all grew up Bron fans,” Reaves stated. “So, the ability that he has to do that and the ability that he has, every single day, to come into the gym with a smile on his face, happy, never in a bad mood, always joking around, it’s incredible.
“I’ve told him many times, ‘You’ve been doing this way too long to not have a bad day,'” Reaves added. “He doesn’t. It just doesn’t seem like he wakes up in a bad mood. Like some days, I just wake up and I’m mad at the world. So, it’s a testament to him and what he’s done, and it’s very impressive.”
Not everyone would be a James fan growing up, but you get what Reaves is saying. There are so many players in the NBA today who weren’t even born when James made his debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2003. The 40-year-old is entering his 23rd season in the league now and has served as an inspiration for millions around the world.
Reaves initially wasn’t the biggest James fan, as he grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant. An old post of his from 2012, where he was dissing the 21-time All-Star, even famously went viral in 2023. James didn’t take issue with it, though, and these two have grown close over the years.
James has expressed his love for Reaves in the past, and these two have great chemistry on the court as well. You wouldn’t have imagined that things would turn out this way a few years ago.
The Lakers had signed Reaves as an undrafted free agent back in 2021. He wasn’t supposed to amount to much, but steadily improved year after year.
Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2024-25. The 27-year-old is a borderline star now, and the Lakers are counting on him to carry a big load at the start of the 2025-26 campaign as James is out for three to four weeks with sciatica.
Austin Reaves Wants To Keep Playing With LeBron James
James is entering his eighth season with the Lakers, and there is a chance this could be his last. Reaves, for one, would want him to stick around for longer.
“As great as James has been, extending his prime well beyond any reasonable actuarial table, there is a natural question as to how his timeline syncs up with the team’s two other best players, both of whom are in their mid-20s. Doncic and Reaves, for their part, love playing with James and want the partnership to continue,” wrote ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Both players have not inquired with James about when he plans to retire, sources said, wanting to show respect for James’ process. Doncic, who idolized James growing up, has enjoyed their partnership and believes James is vital to L.A.’s ability to win now.”
There is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to this situation. Does James want to stay? Do the Lakers want him to stay? We’ll just have to wait for a year to get the answers to those questions.
