Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic did not immediately become close when the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Doncic. In a newly published interview, both players described how their relationship developed after an uncertain beginning.
Speaking with the California Post‘s Melissa Rohlin, Reaves recalled passing Doncic in the locker room without starting a conversation.
“I wasn’t joking,” Reaves said. “There were times when the trade first happened where we would walk by each other in the locker room and not say anything to each other because I didn’t know what to say to him. That was the first reaction: ‘What is this guy going to be like?’”
Doncic offered his perspective on adjusting to unfamiliar teammates.
“For me, it’s hard to speak when I come to a new team, new people,” Doncic said.
He explained that he initially gravitated toward people he already knew, with his friendship with Reaves growing during the following training camp. Reaves pointed to shared interests and a similar sense of humor as they became more comfortable together.
The interview, published Thursday, also includes Reaves describing how they supported one another through difficult stretches. His account places their friendship beyond the jokes fans regularly see during interviews and games.
Austin Reaves had already made his feelings about Luka Doncic clear
By July, Reaves was publicly describing a very different relationship from the quiet early interactions he recalled to Rohlin.
When he spoke after signing his new Lakers contract, Reaves identified Doncic as one of his closest friends. As Lakers Daily covered at the time, he discussed their frequent communication and Doncic’s habit of sending golf-swing videos.
Reaves also expressed his attachment to the franchise and coaching staff while explaining his decision to stay. The friendship was already part of the picture as the Lakers prepared for another season together.
That history is important to the context of Thursday’s interview. The relationship itself has been public for months; the newly published account gives both players room to explain how they experienced its development.
Their Lakers chemistry has extended beyond basketball
The offseason offered another example when Doncic hosted teammates in Slovenia. As detailed in Lakers Daily’s September coverage of the minicamp footage, the trip mixed basketball with golf and group activities.
Reaves and Doncic even led opposing teams in a rowing competition. The setting gave teammates a chance to interact without every exchange being about a play, a matchup or a role in the rotation.
Kevon Looney later described the value of spending time with new teammates before formal training camp.
He emphasized learning about their personalities away from the court, an opportunity that a summer trip could provide before the daily demands of the season took over.
That example also shows why a friendship between two prominent players can fit within a broader effort to connect a roster. The Slovenia gathering included the group, giving newcomers their own opportunities to become comfortable around one another.
By the end of September, Reaves’ comfort around Doncic was visible in a much smaller moment. During a media availability, he became distracted by Doncic making long shots elsewhere on the practice floor and jokingly complained about his teammate.
Austin Reaves was too distracted watching Luka during his interview and accidentally cursed in front of media because of it 😂
“Luka’s made 5 f*cking half court shots in the last 30 seconds. And he just made another one, I hate him.”
(Via: @DStarkand) pic.twitter.com/MjCUoyPIsS
— LakersCenter (@LALakersCenter) September 30, 2026
“And he just made another one, I hate him,” Reaves said.
It was playful frustration, not a dispute. Alongside their golf conversations and offseason competition, the exchange provides a concrete example of how easily they now joke with each other.
The public banter does not measure how well any particular Lakers lineup will perform. It does, however, show the comfort that was missing when Reaves was still figuring out how to start a conversation with his new teammate.
