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Austin Reaves' career is taking off right before our very eyes, as not only is he a budding star for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he's also proving to be a solid piece for Team USA in their quest to avenge their early exit four years ago in the FIBA World Cup. And there may not be a bigger Reaves fan in the world than LeBron James, who praised the 25-year old guard after impressing in his first tune-up game for his country on Monday night against Puerto Rico.
Reaves, in nearly 20 minutes of action, scored nine points on 4-9 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists to his name as well. But most importantly, he was a +28, as the team excelled with the Lakers guard on the court. It didn't take long after the game for Reaves to discover that James commended him for how well he played on Twitter, as the commentating crew on Fox Sports 1 showed The King's appreciation for his Lakers teammate.
After discovering that LeBron James called him “cold” (in a good way) in addition to all the other compliments he's given before, Austin Reaves couldn't help but express his gratitude for the Lakers star and future Hall of Famer's belief in his abilities.
“That's my guy. I've learned a lot from him in the past two years. It feels good when he kind of validates that you can actually play. It's been a special two years, and hopefully, we can go win a championship this year,” Reaves said.
Per ClutchPoints Twitter:
"That's my guy. I've learned a lot from him in the past two years. It feels good when he kind of validates that you can actually play. It's been a special two years, and hopefully, we can go win a championship this year."
Austin Reaves on LeBron's tweetpic.twitter.com/yXGSsXOGIB
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 8, 2023
LeBron James has had his fair share of talented teammates over his 20 seasons thus far in the NBA, which he's spent with the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat. So he certainly knows what game looks like, especially from up close, and if he thinks Austin Reaves has that “it” factor, then it's hard to disagree.
And the Lakers definitely agree with James' evaluation of Reaves, as they rewarded him with a four-year, $56 million contract this offseason to serve as one of the team's most important players. In 2023-24, like Reaves said, they'll be looking to build off of last season's Western Conference Finals appearance.