Reaves’ teammate didn’t know him until he coached Giannis
The The Los Angeles Lakers may have had a mixed start to the season in the absence of LeBron Jameswho continues to recover from sciatica. Despite a 3-2 start, individually speaking, Austin Reaves has been flawless until today.
And as he continues his journey to earn global recognition, his teammate Rui Hachimura revealed his story to find out who Reeves was first.
Rui Hachimura Says He Didn’t Know Who Austin Reeves Was When He First Arrived In LA, Then A Move On Giannis Made Him Notice (Clips Included)
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“I’m not going to lie, three years ago when I got traded here, I honestly didn’t know about him before. I think he was injured then,” revealed Hachimura, who entered his third year with the Lakers.
“And I think he came back in the game against Milwaukee. I think I remember, he made a move on Giannis around the top and he made a layup. I’m like, ‘ooh, okay, he got it, you know?'” he said, in a video posted on the r/NBA subreddit.
Hachimura was traded to the Lakers in January 2023 after more than three seasons with the Washington Wizards. Back then, Reaves was still learning his trade and had a breakout 2022-23 campaign in which he became a starter the following season.
Regardless, Reaves has continued a steady upward trend since then and is currently enjoying his best start to an NBA season. He is averaging 34.2 points, 10 assists and 5.6 rebounds while shooting at a herculean 60% overall efficiency.
He also takes top-notch attempts from the three-point zone and inside the arc, and while no one will expect him to continue that kind of production, he has excelled in the absence of LeBron and, more recently, Luka Doncic.
This obviously includes his 51 points against the Sacramento Kingsfollowed by a 41-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers. There’s no doubt he’ll earn his first All-Star appearance ever if he keeps up the pace.
2025-10-30 20:23:00
