The career Austin Reaves has had so far has been special. Not only has he gone from being a kid from Oklahoma to a superstar in Los Angeles, but the progression of his career has been a dream.
Every year, Reaves’ role has increased, and his production has continued to grow alongside it. His minutes played, points and rebounds per game have gone up every single season. Reaves has gone from being an undrafted player back in 2021 to one who is set to earn a huge payday this summer.
One person who has
been along for every step of Reaves’ Lakers journey has been LeBron James. Having played more basketball than anyone ever, LeBron has seen the start and end of many careers and is well aware of how special Reaves’ journey has been.
“Just seeing AR grow over these five years, it’s been nothing short of amazing,” LeBron said in his exit interview. “I mean, he’s just a hard worker. He loves the game. He wants to get better and he’s not afraid of constructive criticism, and, and I kind of knew that. I saw the talent, but I also saw that he was willing to put the work in and he wasn’t afraid of the moment.
“To see where he is today’s, it’s awesome. I knew he could be a big-time player for our ball club. I knew if he just got the opportunity and also he gained the confidence in himself that he know he belongs in this league that he could do some special things in this league. He’s, obviously, showed that.”
It’s got to feel great for Reaves to get such a glowing endorsement from not only a teammate, but a player who’s in the argument for the greatest of all time. LeBron has seen all of Redick’s great moments, like his “I’m Him” game to his game-winner against the Warriors on Christmas.
What’s even more important than those moments, though, is the work LeBron is talking about that we don’t see. Reaves is willing to get coached hard and he puts in the work in the gym to get better.
LeBron is notorious for his physical regimen, and even his podcast “Mind The Game” focuses on the minutiae of basketball. If he appreciates the time you’re putting into your craft, that says a lot about you as a player.
While Reaves is already a leader, LeBron has remained a guide for him. After Reaves missed his game-tying shot against the Thunder in Game 4, LeBron was the first to encourage him.
The LeBron-Reaves journey has been an incredible one. Over five years, LeBron has seen every moment of Reaves’ career, and hopefully, there are more seasons together to come.
But, even if they never step on the court together again, it’s been an amazing journey.
Reaves has more years left in his career, and LeBron will most certainly be rooting for him, whether he’s playing with him or not.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
