Media

​​Austin Reaves recalls story of talking s–t to LeBron James during Lakers scrimmage

Published by
Peter Dewey

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Austin Reaves has quickly carved out a role on the team in the 2021-22 season.

Reaves, who has been praised by his teammates for not backing down, recalled a story of when he talked trash to superstar LeBron James in an early-season practice.

“His teammates quickly saw that he doesn’t back down,” The Ringer’s Mirin Fade wrote. “One practice, early in the season, during a five-on-five scrimmage, Reaves defended James. James went into the post, backed him down, and turned and shot a fadeaway 15-footer. Reaves stretched his hand high, contesting right to the fingertips of James’s follow-through.

“Good defense, Reaves thought. Then he realized James’s shot went in. OK, whatever. You made one.

“The next defensive possession, Reaves bent his legs low, tried to stop James again. Sure enough, James hit a shot over him in the exact same spot.

“F—.

“‘He starts talking s—,’ Reaves says.

“And what did Reaves do?

“‘I talk s— back! You got to.’

“James then subbed out of the scrimmage. ‘He kindly told me that I might be able to get a stop now,’ Reaves says.”

While James may have been a mismatch for him, Reaves showed that he’s willing to take on any challenge, even guarding one of the best players of all time.

James is as tough a guard as they come in the NBA. The four-time MVP is averaging 26.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game this season while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Reaves has appeared in 16 games in the 2021-22 season for the Lakers. He is averaging 5.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 18.9 minutes per game.

The Lakers appear to have found a scrappy young player that will do whatever it takes to make an impact on the court, even if it means talking smack while he’s at it.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

Antoine Walker says LeBron wasn’t actually ‘unguardable’ in pickup game with MJ: ‘That wasn’t the case’

Earlier this year, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recounted a story about playing in…

March 15, 2025

Dorian Finney-Smith says he noticed JJ Redick was ‘a little off’: ‘All the greats are a little bit off’

Before veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and began playing…

March 14, 2025

D-Wade says LeBron ‘put some extra heat’ on Bronny by saying he was better than some NBA players

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and ESPN star Stephen A. Smith have been in…

March 14, 2025

Skip Bayless destroys Luka’s impact without LeBron: ‘Most of his points felt like empty calories’

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic had some big numbers on Thursday against the Milwaukee…

March 14, 2025

Shaq says LeBron is trying to set records that will never be broken: ‘I know what he’s doing’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James set another NBA record recently. In the team's March 4 blowout…

March 13, 2025

Sean Hannity claims he would’ve had Stephen A.’s back during LeBron confrontation: ‘Just saying’

Not long after former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade expressed to TMZ Sports that he…

March 13, 2025