Austin Reaves and LeBron James said their goodbyes in the Lakers’ locker room last May, knowing that their futures with the team were uncertain.
“I wasn’t a LeBron fan growing up. I was a Kobe [Bryant] guy,” Reaves said, recalling the hug the two shared after the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 127-105 on opening night. “But then getting to know him as a human was one of the coolest things I’ve been able to experience.”
Reaves went into the offseason hoping they would both return to the Lakers. He also understood the financial and roster-building reasons that would eventually lead James to leave Los Angeles and start over in Philadelphia. Reaves signed a four-year, $180 million deal to stay with the Lakers, while James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Sixers.
James put up 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in Philadelphia’s opening night win in New York on Tuesday. He had embraced a co-starring role alongside Reaves and Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, but that move was a sacrifice rather than a choice. Free agency gave James a choice for the first time in eight years, and he chose to play elsewhere.
Reaves respected that decision. The two still text often, and James recently sent him a pair of shoes. Still, Reaves misses his former teammate, and the Lakers have a major hole to fill.
“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 in Los Angeles for 18 months. Jake LaRavia is fourth, in just his second season with the team.
“It’s weird not seeing him tonight and seeing him in a Sixers jersey last night,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game.
The matchup was a familiar opening night pairing, marking the fourth time in six years the NBA has put these two teams together on opening night. Kerr’s rivalry with James runs even deeper, dating to the four straight years Golden State faced James’ 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 took on a leading role with a series of grand gestures on and off the court. He bought a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times addressed directly to 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 afterward. “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, Doncic 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 could hardly believe what he heard. “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 may be a showman on the court, but he is generally soft-spoken and brief in 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 took care of his teammates, scoring 28 points and dishing out seven assists. He also put new center Walker Kessler in the same statistical conversation as Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. Kessler made 12 field goals without a miss, the most by a Lakers player since Chamberlain in 1969. His 10 dunks were the most in a game since O’Neal had 11 dunks, which he did 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 nickname him “Luka Magic,” and it 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’, but the responsibility they carry is 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.”