The transformation of the Los Angeles Lakers this season has been powered largely by the rapid connection between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, a pairing that has flourished both on the court and away from it.
Despite concerns that two ball-dominant guards might struggle to coexist, Doncic and Reaves have instead emerged as one of the league’s most productive backcourts, each playing at an All-Star level. Reaves recently opened up about how quickly the relationship formed, speaking with Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I saw that we had — I don’t love saying this — many similarities in how we like to compete in all different things,” Reaves said. “Not just basketball. Whatever. Cards, bowling, darts … which he hasn’t beaten me at either.”
That competitiveness, Reaves believes, has translated directly into their on-court chemistry.
“We act like we’re probably 10-year old best friends,” Reaves said. “You have a deeper care for one another than just basketball. And then that bleeds into basketball, because you don’t want to let that person down. … You don’t want to not give it your all.”
From Doncic’s perspective, the partnership has felt seamless from the start.
“We kind of understand each other — what the other is going to do,” Doncic said. “So I would say it’s a little bit natural.”
The dynamic hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach JJ Redick, who highlighted their shared edge and trash-talking tendencies.
“I think it’s in a really healthy place,” Redick said. “I think what they realized early in the preseason, I don’t know if it was the first road trip or the second one that we went on, but they both realized that they both enjoy talking trash a lot. And their personalities in that regard are very similar so they can sort of create a little bit of chemistry with each other just by being their natural selves.”
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