Lakers star Austin Reaves recalls ‘Oh Sh*t’ moment of gaining LeBron James’ full trust on court

Austin Reaves while talking with JJ Redick remembers about the time he fully gained the Kings trust, says LeBron James sees him as a friend.

Lakers star Austin Reaves recalls ‘Oh Sh*t’ moment of gaining LeBron James’ full trust on court

Austin Reaves talks about the time he gained LeBron James' trust (Image via X and YouTube)

Austin Reaves is having a career only a few players in the NBA can dream of. Undrafted players usually do not have stellar careers in the NBA. A few have done well, but Reaves has a career that rarely happens.

Speaking with former NBA player JJ Redick on his podcast The Old Man & The Three, Reaves was asked about how and when he gained the trust of the All-Time leading scorer in the NBA. Reaves said LeBron James always makes sure every player has good chemistry with him from day one as a teammate. But he outlined when he gained the trust ‘fully’ of possibly one of the greatest players of all time. Reaves said:

Fully......was game 1 of the Memphis series last year.
Austin Reaves on The Old Man

Reaves says. even though they have had chemistry and trust from day one, that one game changed the trust James had in him.

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Austin Reaves details a possession in the fourth quarter where LeBron James was bringing the ball up the court. Naturally, as per the game plan, Reaves was sprinting to the corner. James calls Reaves and asks him to come and get the ball. That is when thought to himself:

Oh Sh*t, I gotta make something good happen.

Reaves then Thanks God, as the jump shot he took after getting the ball from James, went in. Otherwise, everyone would have wondered why James would trust an undrafted player to handle the playmaking duties.

Reaves says James’ IQ is off the charts. James can understand opposition plays before the play actually develops. This foresight helps Reaves in his game. Reaves also talks about how James has been a friend to him rather than being an egoistic superstar.

Austin Reaves having a career only few can dream off

Reaves was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with their 42nd pick in 2021. However, he declined the contract. Instead, he signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then he was primarily a potent bench player for the Lakers. Last season he was promoted to a starter role.

Austin Reaves is now a big part of the Lakers lineup and gets James' stamp of approval as their game closer
Austin Reaves is now a big part of the Lakers lineup and gets James’ stamp of approval as their game closer (image via Twitter)

Improving year on year in the league, Reaves is currently averaging 15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season. More importantly, James and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham trust Reaves to play the closing minutes of a game and be their clutch closer.

For an undrafted player, having a good career is one thing. Having one of the best players ever as your mentor and friend is another. That player giving this undrafted player the ball to lead the game plan is very very rare.

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