LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the stars of the team for the Los Angeles Lakers, but Austin Reaves has become an x-factor and one of the team’s top contributors.
Apparently, James saw this coming since he first started playing alongside Reaves.
James: I Knew From The First Practice
"It's not surprising to me. I knew it from the first practice."
LeBron always knew Reaves was gonna be great 😂💯 pic.twitter.com/8OiHn96SWg
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2023
Reaves went undrafted in 2021, but signed a 2-way contract with the Lakers before the season began. He became a pleasant surprise for the team, as he played in 61 games during his rookie season, averaging 7.3 points in 23 minutes of play.
During the 2022-23 regular season, Reaves played in 64 games while starting 22 of them. He averaged 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists for a Lakers team that squeaked into the playoffs, and he played a big part in helping them achieve those goals.
Reaves had his coming out party on Sunday against the Grizzlies. In his playoff debut, he dropped 23 points, outscoring both James and Davis on the day. He had the hot hand in the second half as his Lakers teammates continuously fed him the ball, and he along with Rui Hachimura were the big contributors in the 4th quarter blowout.
Lakers Needed Reaves In Win Over Memphis
'I'M HIM"
Austin Reaves letting the world know 🗣 pic.twitter.com/9y15iGbAh0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 16, 2023
It got so good for Reaves at one point that he ran back down the court yelling “I’m Him!” after a made three-pointer.
When asked about Austin Reaves and his path to his position on the Lakers, LeBron James claimed that he always knew that Reaves was destined to be what he is now.
“Its not surprising to me. I knew from the first practice that he wasn’t going to be a two-way player for long…I’ve been around the game long enough to know great basketball IQ players.”
The quote is another in a long line for James regarding things that he foresaw coming.
Can the Reaves and the Lakers keep it rolling? They exploded in the 4th quarter of Sunday’s game and should have plenty of momentum going into Game 2, and the status of Ja Morant is unknown for the Grizzlies.
Tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30pm Eastern.
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