Lakers sophomore Austin Reaves not only has become a key player for the team, but also earned the respect of his superstar teammate.
The 24-year-old shooting guard who is a starter and one of the main contributors for the Purple and Gold in the playoffs. A large part of his success is his basketball IQ. That is what LeBron James likes in other players.
“I don’t give a f— about, like, athleticism; how great you can shoot the ball; how high you can jump; how fast you can run,” James tells ESPN as he files out of the arena after Reaves. “I like high basketball IQ guys. Obviously, you got to have that s— to win a championship. You got to have guys that can do extraordinary s—. But like, I’ve always had a liking to guys that just know how to play the f—ing game of basketball.”
Reaves is averaging 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 37 minutes per game in the playoffs.
