Austin Reeves accomplished an LA feat not seen since Kobe Bryant in 2005.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves continued his breakthrough on Wednesday night, delivering another strong performance in a 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and joining elite company in franchise history.

With his latest effort, Reaves became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant 2005 to open the season with five straight games of at least 25 points. The 27-year-old guard has emerged as the focal point of Los Angeles’ offense in the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, keeping the team competitive early in the 2025-26 season.

Reaves finished the night with 28 points, a career-high 16 assists, two steals and one rebound while shooting 9-for-24 from the field, 3-for-11 from three-point range and 7-for-7 from the free throw line in 40 minutes. His late-game heroics included a floater that sealed the victory for the Lakers in Minneapolis.

Austin Reaves is the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2005 to start a season with 5 straight 25 point games 🤯

(via @Stathead) pic.twitter.com/kIEeM3nT2m

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 30, 2025

Austin Reaves matches Kobe Bryant’s early season goal with Lakers’ dominant start

Through five games this season, Reaves is averaging 34.2 points10 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three and 89.7 percent from the line. His all-around production reflects the poise and scoring that made Bryant one of the game’s all-time greats, highlighting Reaves’ evolution from undrafted prospect to center guard.

James has been sidelined with a sciatic injury that has kept him out since training camp. The Lakers announced before the season that the 40-year-old would be re-evaluated in three to four weeks. Dončić, meanwhile, continues to recover from a sprained left finger and leg contusion, s Both stars are expected to return in November.

Under head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers have relied on Reaves’ scoring and play to create an offensive rhythm early in the season. The win over Minnesota improved Los Angeles to 3-2 on the season.

The Lakers will look to build on their momentum when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies (3-2) on Friday night at 9:30 PM on Prime Video before returning home to host the Miami Heat (3-1) on Sunday. Miami enters the game averaging a league-best 131.5 points per game.