Austin Reaves has become one of LeBron James’ favorite teammates on the Lakers, but their beginnings were quite rough.
Austin Reaves is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. The young Los Angeles Lakers guard makes an impact on a nightly basis.
Patrick Beverley considers Reaves the best third option in the NBA. And while Chandler Parsons may disagree with Reaves being at that level, there is no denying how important he is for the Lakers.
LeBron James recently praised Austin Reaves for stepping up in a big way for the Lakers. Reaves has always been one of LeBron’s favorite teammates, which is why the Lakers refused to trade him for Myles Turner.
The two have a very close bond. But things didn’t start out that way. In fact, Reaves was ready to confront LeBron James during their first days together as teammates.
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In an interview with Taylor Geas of NBA.com, Austin Reaves spoke about his early days with the Lakers. He noted that initially, LeBron James was very tough on him, constantly berating him for his mistakes.
Reaves felt as though James was targeting him specifically. But a conversation with then-Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy helped him understand LeBron’s mentality.
“I’ll give Bron credit. Ever since day one, I remember my rookie year, he was on my a– for a two-week stretch, and I was getting frustrated. I would mess up in games, and he would critique me a lot.”
“I got real frustrated because I felt like he just kept coming after me. Kept coming after me. But not in a bad way—he just wanted me to be better.”
“I went to Phil Handy, and I was like, ‘He needs to give me a break, I’m still learning.’ And he was like, ‘The only reason he’s on you like that is because he believes in you.’”
LeBron James held Austin Reaves to a higher standard so that the young point guard would improve. And if you ask LeBron, he saw Reaves’ talent on day one.
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As part of the same interview, LeBron James addressed his initial treatment of Austin Reaves. He gave Reaves credit for helping improve his own game and admitted that he saw the greatness in Reaves from day one.
“From day one, he’s been one of the biggest reasons that I’ve continued to grow. Because I knew. I saw it. I saw it from the beginning. I knew he could play.”
Reaves and James have played together on the Lakers for four seasons now. And they have formed an amazing partnership together.
James trusts Reaves enough to bring the ball up many times in the game. This is a privilege he hasn’t allowed many other teammates in the past, let alone non-superstar teammates.
The trust and camaraderie between the two have been a sight to behold. It is clear that LeBron thinks highly of Reaves, and believes he can lead the team long after his playing days are over.
