"This motherf---er"- LeBron James says Austin Reaves won him over with his high-level basketball IQ

Austin Reaves is tearing it up this season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is playing with brimming confidence and has been a huge contributor for the Lakers during the postseason.

LeBron James is also a big fan of Reaves. He has supported Reaves all season and said he is not surprised by the young guard’s success.

Following the Lakers' upset 128-112 win in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies, James had a tongue-in-cheek nickname for Reaves.

“This motherf***er,” laughed James after seeing Reaves post-game in a hoodie with his boyish, messy hair."

Reaves made crucial clutch buckets to help the Lakers close the game and finished with 23 points and four assists that night. He was also not afraid to talk a little trash. After nailing a big three-pointer, Reaves exclaimed “I’m him.”

Reaves is slight off the frame and not the typical athletic build seen in the NBA. However, his size does not matter to James.

"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," said James.

James has been praising Reaves for the way he sees the game.

"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."

Austin Reaves is on a recent tear and has been a huge part of the Lakers' improvement since the All-Star break. He averaged 19.8 points per game on 58.0% shooting during the final 11 regular season games for the Lakers. He was also 46% from three and 90% from the free-throw line during that stretch.

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LeBron James praises breakout star Austin Reaves

James said he saw this coming from day one that Reaves could play in the NBA.

“It is not surprising to me. I knew from the first practice when we grabbed him that he was not going to be a two-way player for long,” said James.

“It may be surprising to some of you that you do not watch him as much but to me, it is not,” claimed James.

Austin Reaves has had double digit points in every playoff game so far. He dropped 23 points again in the Lakers' 117-111 overtime win in Game 4.