Austin Reaves was lost for words after getting massive appreciation from LeBron James: "Stuff like that means a lot to me"
LA Lakers guard Austin Reaves appeared lost for words after the shoutout he received from his teammate LeBron James. While highlighting a situation regarding an old post he made, Reaves shared his thoughts on how James embraced him and helped him grow.
Austin Reaves put on a show at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night. Racking up a career-night with 35 points, six rebounds and six assists, Reaves led the Lakers to a much-needed win against the Orlando Magic.
Reaves' contribution off the bench was crucial in securing the 111-105 result. Considering it was a relatively poor night for the rest of the team, the youngster stepped up.
The guard's performance earned a rather hyped response from LA Lakers superstar LeBron James. James, who has been sidelined since late February, was on the bench with the team for Reaves' big night.
Given the result and the performance, LeBron couldn't contain himself as he immediately gave the youngster his flowers on Twitter.
Following the game, AR shared his thoughts on receiving praise from LeBron James. He said:
"It's not just a player, you know. You're talking about arguably one of the greatest players ever. For SportsCenter for airing me out for a post I made in 2012 about LeBron, I appreciate that."
Austin Reaves was referring to a Facebook meme he posted which threw some shade at LeBron back in 2012 as a 13-year-old. The post recently resurfaced and was a hilarious counterpoint to him being teammates with James.
He added upon this sentiment by saying:
"For him to accept me the way that he accepted me from Day 1. Obviously, I felt like there was a really good chemistry IQ-wise from Day 1. Not just him, everybody else. I mean, Dennis and Beas throwing water on me on the court. Stuff like that means a lot to me.
"Looking back in 20 years when I'm hopefully retired playing golf everyday, I can tell my kids and my grandkids that arguably the greatest player ever. ...this is social media so it'll be around forever. They'll believe me actually."
"For SportsCenter for airing me out for a post I made in 2012 about LeBron, I appreciate that. For him to accept me the way that he accepted me from day one… Stuff like that means a lot to me."
Austin Reaves on the support from LeBron James 😂
https://t.co/eaaeF6Lq79
Reaves' statement truly encompasses how much he values LeBron's opinion. Given the chemistry the two have on the court, this is also justified.
As a mentor, LeBron James has done a lot to help the youngster improve as a player. As Reaves continues to take bigger strides in improvement, the Purple and Gold will also look to rely on him a lot more.
Austin Reaves earns LeBron James' seal of approval
Austin Reaves has time and time again earned the approval of the LA Lakers faithful. Coming through for the team with timely plays, Reaves has earned quite the reputation for being a clutch player.
However, LeBron James' seal of approval goes a long way in this regard. Given that Reaves has been putting up some solid numbers in LeBron's absence, he has also stepped up as the team's closer when time calls for it.
In many ways, Austin Reaves is essential for the Purple and Gold. With LeBron's return also on the horizon, fans will hope to see the two share the floor soon.