Austin Reaves misses LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers have a sizeable gap to fill after James left for Philadelphia. Before the two parted ways in the locker room last May, they shared a hug that Reaves still remembers.
“I wasn’t a LeBron fan growing up. I was a Kobe [Bryant] guy,” Reaves said, when asked about that night. “But then getting to know him as a human was one of the coolest things I’ve been able to experience.”
Reaves and the Lakers had just beaten the Golden State Warriors 127-105 on opening night. Reaves had gone into the offseason hoping they would both return to Los Angeles, but he also understood the financial and roster-building reasons behind James’s decision to start afresh with the Sixers. Reaves signed a four-year, $180 million deal to stay with the Lakers, while James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia.
James, who scored 14 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and handed out 7 assists in the Sixers’ opening night win in New York on Tuesday, had accepted a co-starring role alongside Reaves and Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. Free agency gave him a choice for the first time in eight years, however, and he chose to play elsewhere. Reaves accepts that decision. The two still text each other often, and James recently sent him a pair of shoes. That does not mean Reaves has stopped missing his former teammate.
A Bond Built Over Time
“I never disregarded the basketball player he was when I was younger. I knew he was great, but then to full-circle being on the team with him, and then him giving me confidence every single day was incredible,” Reaves said. “It gave me a better outlook on judging people because he treated me the same from the day he met me when I was a two-way player, to when I call him right now. I think that’s what I miss the most.”
Reaves is now the longest-tenured Laker, having been in Los Angeles for the last six seasons. Bronny James is next, entering his third season with the team, followed by Doncic, who has been with the Lakers for 18 months. Jake LaRavia is fourth, in just his second season with the club.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also reflected on James’s departure before the game. “It’s weird not seeing him tonight and seeing him in a Sixers jersey last night,” Kerr said.
It was a familiar opening night pairing, the fourth time in six years the NBA has matched these two sides on opening night. Kerr’s rivalry with James runs deeper still, dating back to the four straight years Golden State met James’s Cavaliers in the Finals.
“Those Finals will live in the history of both franchises forever,” Kerr said. “That was an iconic era for both teams. This is a new Lakers team, and a new Warriors team.”
Doncic Steps Up
On opening night, Doncic set out to lead the franchise with a series of gestures on and off the court. He took out a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times, addressed directly to the fans, offered free parking in a nearby lot and provided free bike rides to the game.
“I know they work hard to get to the games, to get to the arena,” Doncic said afterwards. “So I’ve always had something in me that I need to have that connection with the fans. So just trying to welcome them to the new season so that they know that we really appreciate the support.”
Before tip-off, he grabbed a microphone and addressed the home crowd. “Hello, Laker Nation,” Doncic said. “Thank you for supporting us. It’s the start of something new. It’s going to be a special season, so thank you for your support.”
Reaves was taken aback. “I heard his voice and I was like, ‘What the hell’s going on?'” Reaves said. “There’s no way this is actually him.”
Doncic is a showman on the court but is generally soft-spoken and brief with his public comments. “It just shows that he’s bought in, he’s all-in,” Reaves said. “Even in Slovenia [where Doncic hosted the team] he paid for everything. When his heart’s somewhere … He’s going to take care of the community that he’s in, he’s going to take care of the people that’s around him.”
On the court, Doncic looked after his teammates, scoring 28 points and dishing out 7 assists. New centre Walker Kessler also had a remarkable night. His 12 made field goals without a miss were the most by a Lakers player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1969, and his 10 dunks were the most in a game since Shaquille O’Neal recorded 11 dunks, twice in the 2003 season.
Doncic’s best moment came with a half-court shot to beat the halftime buzzer. The play was the kind that led James to call him “Luka Magic” and brought the sellout crowd to its feet.
“I knew that was going up before I got it in my hands,” Doncic said, smiling. “I work on those.”
His style differs greatly from James’s, but the weight of responsibility they carry remains the same. “The Lakers [are] one of the biggest organizations in the world, if not the biggest,” Doncic said. “It’s an honor to be the face of the franchise and I hope I can stay here a long time.”