LeBron James has opened up about his relationship with teammate Austin Reaves. Speaking on the ‘Mind The Game’ podcast, James discussed the moment Reaves completely gained his trust against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
“Obviously last year, the Memphis series, AR gained a lot of trust from me, but also I had to trust in him to make the play … It was either Game 1 or Game 2 in the fourth quarter, I was just like, ‘AR go win it for us.’ I wanted to see…
“… I feel like I play chess on the floor. I felt like if I could get AR, and instill AR with that confidence in the fourth quarter to make plays and win that game, it was just gonna pay dividends for the rest of my time with him, and the rest of his time when I’m not with him.
“I love seeing the success of my teammates more than anything so to have the ability now to be just like, I pick my spots ‘Hey Dlo you got it,’ ‘AR you got it,’ it means a lot not only for me, but for our ballclub.”
Reaves has been a revelation for the Lakers since joining the team three years ago, averaging 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.6 assist per game this season. All three statistical categories are career-highs.
It’s an incredible success story for someone who went undrafted. Interestingly, Reaves declined to be selected 42nd overall by the Detroit Pistons, instead opting to sign a two-way contract with the Lakers in 2021. And based on how his career is turning out, it must be said he made the right move.