"I got really frustrated" - Lakers $12,976,362 guard reveals LeBron James' intense mentorship during his rookie year
During his rookie year with the LA Lakers, Austin Reaves was mentored by LeBron James. Despite joining the team as an undrafted player, Reaves' play impressed James so much that the future Hall of Famer took it upon himself to mentor the Oklahoma product.
According to Reaves, however, at one point, he started to get frustrated with James' constant critiques and went so far as to go to LA assistant coach Phil Handy in hopes of getting James off his back.
During an interview with Taylor Geas and NBA.com, Reaves, who is on a $12.9 million contract, reflected on the situation amid an impressive season for the young guard, which has seen him improve in several statistical categories.
“I remember my rookie year, [LeBron] was on my a** for a 2-week stretch, and I was getting frustrated," Reaves said. "I would mess up in games, and he would critique me a lot. I got really frustrated because I felt like he just kept coming after me. But not in a bad way — he just wanted me to be better."
"I went to Phil Handy, and I was like, 'He needs to give me a break, I'm still learning.' And he was like, 'The only reason he's on you like that is because he believes in you.' From day one, he’s been one of the biggest reasons that I’ve continued to grow," he added.
Since then, Reaves and James have been a force to be reckoned with, most recently leading the Lakers to a win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the absence of their recently acquired star, Luka Doncic.
During the game, Reaves and James combined for 72 points and 11 assists as they lifted the Lakers to a 110-102 win.
"Just to see his growth, it's been a pleasure," - LeBron James opens up on Austin Reaves' growth since joining the Lakers
Since his rookie year with the LA Lakers, Austin Reaves has continued to improve year after year. Whether he's making strides as a scorer, a playmaker or a defender, there's been no indication that the young guard has hit his ceiling quite yet.
While he credits much of his growth to LeBron James' mentorship, other players like former LA guard and future Hall of Famer Rajon Rondo have also played a pivotal role.
During Reaves' rookie year, when Rondo was on the team, he would pick the veteran guard's brain on several different topics, from reading defenses to pick-and-roll actions.
Now, as he takes on an even bigger role with the Lakers in the wake of the departure of Anthony Davis, Reaves and James have learned how to complement each others' strengths and weaknesses while on the court.
During the aforementioned NBA.com interview, James was quoted as saying:
"AR has grown and grown every single game," James said. "When you're still able to make plays and teams have you high on their 'we have to guard this guy' [report] ... he's a big focal point of any team that we go against because they know his playmaking and they know his shooting ability, they know what he can do out there on the floor.
"Just to see his growth, it's been a pleasure," he added.
On Saturday, the two will look to snap the Denver Nuggets' nine-game win streak, which has also seen the team pick up wins against LA in nine of their ten most recent meetings.