Not a lot of professional basketball players can say they have played with a four-time NBA champion in LeBron James. As the Los Angeles Lakers superstar heads into his 20th NBA season, the opportunity for a number of young players to be able to lace it up with James is increasing.
Austin Reaves has not only been a fan favorite amongst the Lakers faithful but has also been a favorite of James’ as well in his short career with the Lakers.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Reaves details what it is like playing with James and shares how easy and fun it has been heading into his second year playing for the Lakers:
“We have both been in the gym, putting work in, and really just preparing for the season”, Reaves said. “Playing with him is very easy. I mean he really puts you in the right spots for you to be successful, and also for the team as well. He really is someone that can orchestrate a whole game. For me to be able to share the floor with him and you know, have these moments are very special to me and you know, hopefully we can keep doing it.”
After a disappointing 2021-22 season, the Lakers have hired a brand new coaching staff and tweaked the roster in order to gear up for a bounce-back year. To have success this season, Reaves believes that it will come down to the health of the Lakers.
The work that both Reaves and James and the rest of the Laker crew have been putting in during the offseason is two-fold. First, it gets them healthy by getting stronger and leaner. Second, the individual and coexisting team chemistry is improving, which is something the Lakers need with a new roster.
With Reaves already establishing a solid on and off-the-court relationship with James, the guard looks to flourish even more with an offense that will feature James and Russell Westbrook setting up shooters like Reaves to knock down open shots and rack up the Lakers’ win total.
Reaves Would Have Done Anything To Meet Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant meant a lot of things to many people. For this current young generation of professional athletes, Bryant’s work-ethic and Mamba Mentality served as inspiration on and off the court.
Players like Reaves, who worked his way up to his current spotlight and role on the Lakers, take Bryant’s wisdom to heart and in result, Reaves has wound up to be a reliable 3-and-D type player for the team heading into the 2022-23 season.
Reaves recently shared his love for Bryant and how he would have done anything in order to meet the five-time NBA champion, although he unfortunately never got that opportunity.
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