Lakers star Austin Reaves shares harsh confession about LeBron James: ‘I didn’t love him’

The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up to compete at the highest level in the Western Conference playoffs. Beyond the addition of Luka Doncic, one of the main reasons for the team’s high expectations this year is the performance of Austin Reaves, who is having the best season of his NBA career. Now, the young guard has made an unexpected confession about LeBron James.

“I wasn’t a huge LeBron fan, I was a Kobe (Bryant) fan, so automatically I didn’t love him,” Reaves admitted during the postgame press conference following the Lakers’ 140-109 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Austin offered context for that confession about his teammate in Los Angeles. “Yeah, I mean, as all of y’all have probably seen from my rookie year, when a tweet got posted from when I was 12 talking about, I basically was just talking (expletive) on LeBron,” the guard explained.

However, Reaves went on to speak about how his relationship with James has evolved since they became teammates on the Lakers. “But obviously always respected his game and then just being around him every single day, the joy he brings to the team. He’s never in a bad mood,” said the young star.

Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on March 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Austin ultimately reflected on the massive impact LeBron has had on his career: “For him to welcome me when I was on a two-way contract to where I am today and treat me the same. I owe him a lot for what he’s helped me accomplish.”

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Reaves is thriving with the Lakers

This season has been a breakout campaign for Austin Reaves. Over his first three seasons in the NBA, the guard demonstrated steady growth with each passing year. But in the current season, he made a definitive leap, becoming a key piece of the team while also earning widespread recognition from fans and analysts alike.

The 26-year-old star is posting the best numbers of his career this season. Reaves is the Lakers’ third-leading scorer, averaging 20.2 points per game, trailing only Doncic and James. He’s also putting up 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists, while averaging 34.9 minutes per game.

The Lakers already have their sights set on the playoffs

With only Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers remaining, the Lakers can already rest easy knowing they’ve clinched a playoff spot. And while the Oklahoma City Thunder have dominated the Western Conference, the form the team under JJ Redick has shown over the last two months has made them one of the title favorites.

That sentiment, widely echoed by analysts in recent weeks, seems to be shared by the Lakers players themselves, who appear energized by their current level of play heading into the postseason. “I feel like we could win a championship, to be honest with you,” Austin Reaves told ESPN, showing the confidence the team has in its chances.