LeBron James and Austin Reaves have come a long way in their four-season journey as Lakers teammates. James was one of the early believers in Reaves' potential after he entered the NBA as an undrafted rookie in 2021. The experienced superstar rarely ever misses with his evaluation of young talent, and Reaves has become a proper example of it. However, it didn't stop him from giving Reaves a reality check with his welcome to the league moment in 2021. During a quick interview with Lakers podcaster and superfan Aron Cohen, Reaves revisited the incident, saying:"The only time I ever thought I didn't belong on a basketball court was in training camp, actually. We were just playing and Bron was being Bron and I was just kinda like I don't know if I can play to this standard. He hit like four baseline fadeawards, and I was like, 'Alright, there's nothing I can do.' It p**sed me off."Despite growing up a "LeBron hater" because of his love for Kobe Bryant, the soon-to-be five-season veteran Austin Reaves has been in awe of LeBron James since they teamed up.LeBron James took the Michael Jordan route to nurture Lakers teammate Austin Reaves LeBron James has often been criticized for his passive leadership style. Many compare him to Michael Jordan, who was a nightmare in practice and forced his teammates to achieve excellence. However, Austin Reaves debunked that narrative after explaining James' methods to prepare him for the league.During his rookie season, James incessantly critiqued Reaves to a point where the young guard's spirits were nearly broken. Here's what Reaves said in February about this (via NBA.com):"I'll give Bron credit. Ever since day one, I remember my rookie year, he was on my ass for a two-week stretch, and I was getting frustrated. I would mess up in games, and he would critique me a lot.""I got real frustrated because I felt like he just kept coming after me," Reaves said. "Kept coming after me. But not in a bad way—he just wanted me to be better. I went to Phil Handy, and I was like, 'He needs to give me a break, I’m still learning.' And he was like, 'The only reason he's on you like that is because he believes in you.'"It all worked out as Austin Reaves went on to become one of the most successful players in recent memory for the Lakers through their internal development. He's been their third-best player since the 2023 NBA playoffs. In 2024-25, Reaves averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists.Currently on a four-year $53.8 million deal, he's set himself up for a huge payday of up to $30-35 million annually on his next contract, and a promotion as a second option once LeBron James calls time on his career.