In 2012, current Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves was a die-hard Kobe Bryant fan and didn’t seem to be all that fond of LeBron James, who had yet to win a ring in the NBA.
Reaves sent a meme out on Twitter in 2012 that took a shot at his current teammate for being ringless with Bryant in the background throwing his hands up.
More than a decade later, Reaves and James share the floor together in Los Angeles, with the up-and-coming guard now building a tight bond with the four-time NBA champion.
The undrafted guard has gotten to play with James extensively during his time with the storied NBA franchise and has been impressed by what he’s seen, which has clearly left an impression and changed his tune about the future Hall of Famer’s legacy.
During an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Reaves opened up about his relationship with James and went as far as to say James is the greatest player of all time.
“He obviously makes my life so much easier.”
Austin Reaves on his relationship with LeBron James.#LakeShow | @RickKamlaSports | @adaniels33 pic.twitter.com/PhaO9qJ1Jy
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 17, 2023
James has had nothing but high praise for Reaves since they began playing together a few years ago, and that praise has gone both ways, with the 25-year-old highly complimentary of what he’s done him and the relationship they have today.
The real question moving forward for these two players is whether they can put it all together with Anthony Davis and company to get the Lakers back to title-contender status and shoot for their 18th championship ring, which might be possible during the 2023-24 NBA season.
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Austin Reaves Shares His True Feelings On Playing For Team USA