Austin Reaves, a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, is now worth more than $50 million, but the 25-year-old still looks up to LeBron James as his idol.

Reaves has gone from an undrafted free agent to a key piece for the Lakers in only two seasons. This led to a major role with Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and a four-year, $56 million deal this offseason.

Despite his newfound prominence, Reaves is grateful to his seasoned colleagues for their guidance and companionship. He credited his friendship with James as a key factor in his success.

According to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points, Reaves was quoted as saying, “Obviously, from where I’m from and you know the high plateau that he’s on.” “It’s amazing how everyone back home is constantly like, ‘how’s LeBron, how’s LeBron,’ and he’s the greatest. A true gem of a colleague, companion, and friend. Has been a person I owe a great debt of gratitude to for his many acts of kindness and assistance.

In 2023, Reaves finally found his stride, averaging 13 points, 3.4 assists, and 3 rebounds in 64 games. His contributions off the bench were crucial to the Lakers making the playoffs after missing out the year before, despite the fact that he only started 22 games.

Reaves stepped into a starting role and thrived in the postseason. In 16 games, he contributed 16.9 ppg, 4.6 apg, and 4.4 rpg to help the Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals. He improved on this performance at the FIBA World Cup, as he scored 13.8 points per game off the bench for the United States.

Looking ahead to the 2023-24 season, he will be counted on to maintain this level of performance. Due to the advanced age of its core players, the Lakers have little chance of winning another championship with LeBron James as their starting point guard.