Lakers' Austin Reaves: LeBron James Is 'Greatness Right in Front of All Our Eyes'

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves was in awe of teammate LeBron James after he became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 total points on Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets.

"It's just greatness, right in front of all our eyes," Reaves told reporters following the game.

The 25-year-old has been teammates with James since he signed with the Lakers ahead of the 2021-22 season following his senior campaign at Oklahoma. He was also present when James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer in Feb. 2023.

"Just to be a part of it, be in the presence of greatness every single day, everything shines under the lights for the last 21 years, starts when nobody's looking," Reaves said, marveling at James' longevity. "He's the first one to the gym, always getting treatment. So, just being able to play alongside him, pick his brain on the game, life. It's special."

The celebration for the 39-year-old may be bittersweet since Los Angeles fell to Denver by the final score of 124-114, but his accomplishment is extremely impressive regardless of the result of the game.

James has set several records and earned new accomplishments throughout his 2023-24 season, becoming the first player to earn 20 All-Star nods. He was also named the MVP of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, helping the Lakers earn a victory over the Indiana Pacers in the title game.

In 54 starts, he's averaged 25.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three. Reaves has also continued to blossom alongside the legend, as his averages of 15.6 points and 5.4 assists per game both represent career highs.

Although the Lakers fell to 33-29 with Saturday's loss, they've still won nine of their past 13 games and currently hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with 20 games left to play.