Austin Reaves went from an undrafted rookie to one of the most recognizable faces on the Los Angeles Lakers. And one viral moment with LeBron James played a major role in that rise. Reaves recently revealed how a simple meme changed his life on the Mind The Game podcast.
It started during a 2022 game against the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers were comfortably ahead late in the fourth quarter, leading 106-91 with a little over 2 minutes left. The game was over. Still, LeBron stayed on the floor and began explaining a play to Reaves.
Reaves’ reaction said everything, and he finally addressed it.
Austin Reaves: “Well, let’s just start with, why is Bron even in the game right now? It’s over.”
LeBron James: “I must have needed one rebound and one assist. That had to be it. I think I got 19,001 rebounds and one assist.”
Steve Nash: “Coach Bron is giving his John Wooden right here. Telling you what to do.”
LeBron James: “At first, he was like, okay, yeah. And then whatever I said, what the f**k are you talking about?”
Steve Nash: “Well, no, I know what he’s thinking now. He just told us. He’s going, why the f**k is he in the game talking about this shit right now? What are we doing? You sit your a** down. We got the job done. And you’re still coaching.”
Austin Reaves: “I remember he posted that after the game. My followers went from like 60,000 to 7 million. It went bing, bing, bing.”
LeBron James: “I’m sorry, man. Your phone died. Your phone died fast as hell, my fault.”
Austin Reaves: “We were in Philly. I was out to eat with Reg, and I picked up my phone, and I just set it back down. I was like, I don’t know what’s going on.”
LeBron James: “Goddamn it, my bad.”
“Why is Bron even in the game right now?” 😭
Austin Reaves and @KingJames explain what exactly went down in Brooklyn. Tap into AR’s episode TOMORROW. pic.twitter.com/PH3RjVhfaD
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) March 23, 2026
For an undrafted player, that kind of exposure matters. Reaves entered the league with little attention. No draft hype or built-in fanbase.
Then the biggest name in basketball shared his clip.
LeBron has over 157 million Instagram followers. One post from him carries global reach. Reaves became a recognizable name overnight. While Reaves does not have 7 million followers, as told in the story, he does have over 1.5 million followers.
But the story does not end with a meme. Reaves backed it up with his play on the court.
He developed into a core piece for the Lakers. This season, he is averaging 23.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 49.4% from the field and over 36.2% from three. He is no longer a role player. Reaves is a second option next to Luka Doncic. He handles the ball, creates offense, and closes games.
That growth has put him in line for a massive contract. Reports suggest he could land a deal worth around $240 million over five years.
LeBron saw something early. He trusted Reaves when others did not, and that trust turned into opportunity. The meme helped build visibility, and the performance built respect.
Now, Reaves is not the confused rookie from that clip anymore. He is one of the most important players on a contender.
