Austin Reaves Explains Why Lakers Fans 'Probably Hated' LeBron James Before He Signed with LA

LeBron James was never quite revered in Los Angeles in the same way as other Lakers legends like Kobe Bryant. But Austin Reaves offered his thoughts on the matter, specifically the comparison between James and Bryant.

"I think with the Bron situation it was a little different just because Bron and Kobe were battling for the best player in the NBA for multiple years, so Lakers fans at the time probably hated LeBron," he told Melissa Rohlin of the California Post. "Not that they didn't accept him when he was here, but they still probably had the 'Kobe is better' type of mentality. But they don't have that with Luka [Dončić]. He was kind of after Kobe. They don't have a reason not to embrace him like a Kobe or someone else who was a Laker legend."

The Lakers certainly embraced Luka Dončić this summer, making it abundantly clear that they were building the franchise around him for the foreseeable future by letting James walk in free agency and adding players who fit their star's playing style.

Those new-look Lakers will make their 2026-27 regular-season debut on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors with a revamped starting five featuring Reaves, Doncic and Walker Kessler.