NBA fans recently reacted to a fun encounter involving Los Angeles Lakers stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
In a video where Luka Doncic was being interviewed, Austin Reaves came and cut him off, greeting him and giving him an embrace, while calling him a “friend.”
“Good job, friend!” Reaves quipped during Luka’s interview.
“He called you a friend,” the reporter asked. “You’re friends, right?”
“He wants to be my friend, but I’m not allowing it,” Doncic responded, after shaking his head.
Austin Reaves: “Good job, friend.”
Luka Doncic: “He wants to be my friend, but I’m not allowing it.”
🤣🤣🤣. (h/t @BulletClubIta)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 19, 2025
Some fans took the humor well, but one fan took it in an entirely different direction and suggested something else.
“Luka only responds to Boyfriend from Reaves,” the fan said.
Another fan expressed their take from the encounter, saying that the sarcasm probably is the opposite of their real relationship behind the cameras.
“Austin is probably his favorite teammate ever,” the fan said.
Luka Doncic has recently praised LeBron James’ comeback with the Lakers, calling his first game back from a 14-game sabbatical “a miracle”, and stating he will only get better as he finds his rhythm in an interview.
Luka called attention to how James was able to fit right back in the lineup and provide veteran stability, and emphasized that the presence of the long-time All-Star will be a tremendous benefit going forward in the season.
“It’s great. It’s been a long time since he played basketball, so I think for a first game, he looked amazing,” Doncic said.
The matchup also offered a reminder that James’ recovery from sciatica will be gradual, but his court vision and leadership were evident in his assist total and overall impact on the win, signaling that the Lakers can rely on him even as he builds back to full form.
NBA Fans Reacted to Luka Doncic’s “Friendship” With Austin Reaves
Over at X, NBA fans react to how Luka Doncic joked about Austin Reaves wanting to be friends with him, but he won’t accept the offer. For one fan, it could be because he is busy keeping friends with other people.
“Too busy maintaining his friendships with the officials to add another guy to the list,” the fan said.
Too busy maintaining his friendships with the officials to add another guy to the list.
— Logan Evans (@logo_evans) November 19, 2025
Other fans, meanwhile, see the humor in Luka not wanting to be friends with Reaves.
“Reaves nearly ended Luka’s career on that lob, and he wants to be his friend?” one fan said.
“Friendship dynamics can be hilariously unpredictable,” another fan added.
So far, the Los Angeles Lakers stand at 10-4 and 4th in the Western Conference. With stars like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the roster, NBA fans are eager to see where the franchise would end up this season.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
