LeBron James reveals what led to Austin Reeves’ rise
The The Los Angeles Lakers are on the move this season, he is currently 17-6 after a recent road win over the Philadelphia 76ers. LeBron James is back hour in that one, hitting a series of jumpers late in the game to help Los Angeles win despite an off night from Austin Reaves.
Low-scoring games from Reaves have been few and far between so far in 2025-26, and James recently took to his “Mind the Game” podcast to talk about what contributed to the rise of the former Arkansas Razorback this year.
“Confidence, he’s also healthier this year than last year. And I know he’s been out a few games this year. But last year he had a toe problem at the end of the season. So he came into the season a lot healthier. But also confidence knowing that his role is going to continue to grow,” James said.
“He’s not just one of the guys. He’s one of the guys on our team. He wants that responsibility. I think the coaching staff and JJ knew it wasn’t too hard to give him more responsibility and he took full advantage of that,” he added.
Reaves is averaging 28 points per game this year and seems certain to make his first All-Star team in two months. His rapid rise as a scorer has helped the Lakers survive the large chunks of time James has missed with injury so far, and it will be interesting to see how his role changes, or doesn’t, as James continues to reintegrate into the lineup.
In any case, the Lakers will next take the floor on Wednesday night at home against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup.
2025-12-09 21:13:00
