Lakers' Austin Reaves Praises LeBron James: Great Teammate, Great Person, Good Friend

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves may be worth in excess of $50 million now but the 25-year-old is still in awe of his teammate, LeBron James.

In just two seasons, Reaves has risen from an undrafted free agent to a building block for the Lakers. This culminated in a four-year, $56 million contract this offseason and a prominent role on Team USA at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Despite this rise in prestige, Reaves still credits his veteran teammates for their leadership and friendship. He said his relationship with James especially has helped his rise.

"Obviously, from where I'm from and you know the high plateau that he's on," Reaves said, per Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points. "It's crazy because everybody back home is always like, 'how's LeBron, how's LeBron,' and he's the best. Great teammate, great person, good friend. Has been someone that I owe a lot of appreciation to because he's helped me out so much."

Reaves broke out in 2023, averaging 13 points 3.4 assists and three rebounds in 64 regular season games. He only made 22 starts, so this production off of the bench was a huge boost to a Lakers team that was able to reach the postseason after missing out the year prior.

In the playoffs, Reaves grasped a starting role and flourished. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 16 games and helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals. He built on this play in the FIBA World Cup, averaging 13.8 points in a bench role for the U.S. team.

As he looks towards the 2023-24 season, he will be relied upon to continue this excellent play. With players like James being closer to the end than the beginning, the youthful energy that Reaves can bring will be crucial for a Lakers team that wants to bring it's legendary star another title.