While other players may have had longer tenures, Rui Hachimura’s three-and-a-half years with the Lakers saw him become a fan favorite.
Immediately helping the team to a playoff victory in his first postseason game with the franchise went some way in endearing himself to the fans. But his personality is really what helped fans fall in love with him during his time in purple and gold.
This offseason, Rui was one of the many players not retained by the Lakers. Making matters worse for some fans, he stayed
in Los Angeles and joined the crosstown rivals in the Clippers.
Still, Friday was a chance to welcome him back to Crypto.com Arena for the first time, and both he and the Lakers were excited to do so.
“It was incredible,” Austin Reaves said of reuniting with Rui. “He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had. I made a joke the other day that I didn’t know if he spoke English for the first two weeks [as teammates]. We sat by each other on the plane his first year and I would say hey to him and he would kind of just look at me and nod. Then after that I couldn’t get him to shut up.
“Always in a good mood, happy to be here, put the work in and it’s just good to see him be happy and successful and enjoying his life.”
Rui looked like the same player the Lakers had last season during the contest. He knocked down open threes, connected on mid-range jumpers and finished with 16 points. He also was nearly on the receiving end of some friendly trash talk by Luka, but didn’t take the bait.
“He was just trying to talk trash or whatever, but I don’t care about those kinds of stuff,” Rui said postgame. “Me and him, I had a good time with him in those two years with the Lakers. I’m happy to see him healthy, back on the court. Hope the best for him.
“I missed all those guys, the players, the coaches,” Rui added. “They got some new guys, but the trainers and all that, it was good to see them…It was a great moment with them. I talked some stuff with them, too, so it was a fun time.”
Luka even gave Rui a bit of a staredown after the former drew a foul on the latter in the second half. All of it was in good fun, though.
“It was just great to see him,” Luka said. “That’s my guy. I got two-and-a-half years together. We’re great friends, so it’s very nice to see him.”
Staying in the division means Rui will be around a lot going forward. It should also lead to more fun moments on the court with his former teammates.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
