LeBron James and Austin Reaves split the playmaking duties for the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night as they secured a crucial 136-124 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Between them, the pair was responsible for 23 out of LA’s 31 assists on the evening.
At this point, it’s safe to say that LeBron isn’t the only elite creator on the Lakers’ roster.
Los Angeles Lakers Star LeBron James Dishes on Relationship With Austin Reaves
Speaking on a recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick, LeBron opened up about the level of trust he has in his young teammate. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer pointed to a particular moment in the playoffs last season that proved to be the turning point of his relationship with Reaves:
“It comes with trust,” James said of conceding playmaking duties with the Lakers. “Obviously, last year, in the Memphis series, [Reaves] gained a lot of trust from me. But also I trusted him to make the plays. … It was either Game 1 or Game 2 where in the fourth quarter, I was just like, AR, go win it for us. And I wanted to see.
”… In my mind, in theory, I feel like I play chess on the floor. And I feel like, if I could get AR and instill AR and that confidence in that fourth quarter to make plays and win that game, it was just going to pay dividends for the rest of my time with him and the rest of his time when I’m not with him.”
.@KingJames talks about his trust in Austin Reaves in Episode 2 of Mind the Game 👇 pic.twitter.com/N2JxtLas5A
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) March 28, 2024
As LeBron said, that clutch performance from Reaves was also a crucial moment in the shooting guard’s career. It was his announcement that he had arrived and that he is very much capable of carrying the torch for LA when called upon.
As LeBron hinted in his statement above, he won’t be around for very much longer. Lakers fans will be glad to know, however, that the team is in good hands even upon The King’s imminent departure.
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