LeBron James said he immediately noticed that Austin Reaves "didn't play like a white boy" after watching his college highlights, praising the guard's unique wiggle and style of play.
Austin Reaves is already considered one of the best undrafted players in NBA history after going unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft and eventually landing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers / Schedule
He joined a championship-winning team led by LeBron James and then-Lakers star Anthony Davis.
Now, James revealed his first impression of Reaves, who has since become part of the Lakers' Big Three.
"After we signed him, I went back and watched a lot of his Wichita State highlights and games and then a lot of his Oklahoma highlights and games as well. The first thing I noticed, it's kind of funny. We always talk about this. He didn't play like a white boy," LeBron said on the Mind the Game podcast.
"It was very different. His wiggle was very different. I mean, I grew up in Northeast Ohio, so I know white guys playing like white guys and white guys playing like the brothers."
Reaves, now 27, has certainly shown plenty of swagger. His production has also been impressive, as he's averaging 23.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this season.
Recently, Reaves also praised James' leadership, calling him the true leader of the Lakers.
After watching the 41-year-old veteran play through fatigue, Reaves said it was simply a matter of "follow the leader," which motivated both him and Luka Doncic to suit up as well.
Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.