Austin Reaves spoke about his appreciation for playing alongside LeBron James after the Los Angeles Lakers secured a 4-2 series win over the Houston Rockets, according to a May 3 report. The Lakers advanced in the first round of the playoffs with significant contributions from James, who stepped up as both primary ball-handler and scorer when Luka Doncic and Reaves were sidelined by injuries.
Reaves returned to action in Game 5 and helped close out the series in Game 6. He described his experience playing with James as a career highlight. “Top of the list,” Reaves told The Athletic. “… After the game I came over and I was like, ‘You’re literally incredible.’ Like, this isn’t me like, I’ve never asked him for anything. I’ve never … I just said, ‘Thank you.’ I want our relationship to be genuine and I told him like, real s—, thanks for letting me be a part of this.
‘Cause it’s like every single night it’s something new and he’s literally incredible.”
James, now in his twenty-third NBA season at age forty-one, continues to perform at a high level both physically and mentally. Observers say his longevity is rare among professional basketball players.
Looking ahead, the Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of playoffs. The Thunder are considered strong favorites as Doncic is expected to miss at least part of that series due to injury.
Game one between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City was rescheduled after RJ Barrett’s late three-pointer led the Toronto Raptors past Cleveland into a seventh game. This delay provided extra rest days for James and his teammates before their next matchup.