Lakers’ Austin Reaves overwhelmed by LeBron James’ recognition following impressive performance vs Magic

The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a victory against the Orlando Magic last night at Crypto.com Arena and shooting guard Austin Reaves continues to shine coming off the bench every game.

The Lakers faced tough challenges from the visiting team while entering the last quarter with a narrow two-point lead. However, the team was finally able to keep the lead afloat until the last whistle and managed to escape another upset in the later stage of the regular season.

While their superstar, Lebron James, misses the games with an ankle injury, the Lakers try heart and soul to secure a playoff spot, and the star didn’t forget to appreciate the efforts from the team, especially Austin.

• “I love this team” LeBron James reacts to Lakers’ third straight victory in his absence

What did LeBron James say about Austin Reaves?

The 24-year-old scored his highest total of 35 points with six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes of play off the bench. With his influential performance, the 19-time NBA all-star got hyped up and, as usual, took it to Twitter. “AR YOU A BAD MUTHA…SHUT YO MOUTH!” You toooooo TOUGH!! 🔥🔥🔥🫡👑” Lebron tweeted.

AR YOU A BAD MUTHA…SHUT YO MOUTH!!! You toooooo TOUGH!! 🔥🔥🔥🫡👑

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 20, 2023

After such explicit appreciation, Reaves is overwhelmed with pride and confidence that he never dreamed of. The approval from the King made the youngster emotional and grateful.

“It’s special… I grew up a Lakers fan… It’s surreal. Sometimes I have to stop and think about what I’m doing. All the odds are staked against me from where I’m from… All I am happy about is the win,” the SG struggled to put his feelings into words.

"I grew up a Lakers fan… it's surreal."

Austin Reaves on overcoming adversity to hoop in the NBA 🗣️

He dropped a career-high 35 PTS tonight. pic.twitter.com/6XVlb33Kvo

— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2023

The victory over the Magic advanced the Lakers to the 10th seed, allowing them to compete in the postseason’s first round. James’ absence shook the team really hard, but there was nothing more justified for them to pull the weight that the 38-year-old did for the rest of the campaign.

With the 10 games in hand, the Lakers have no luxury to fumble anymore, but there’s still a long shot to reach a secured spot.

• “He’s just super talented” Lakers Austin Reaves has high praise for teammate D’Angelo Russell after stunning performance during comeback game vs Toronto Raptors

What’s your reaction to Austin Reaves’ performance last night? Can the Lakers push themselves to reach the postseason? Drop your prediction in the comment section.