The Los Angeles Lakers are playing like a team that cares about each other and the game of basketball as they prepare to face the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers have a chance to avenge their playoff setback from last year. For Austin Reaves, it’s another chance to prove, against the finest opposition, that he truly is ‘Him,’ as he bragged during the Lakers’ early NBA Playoffs matches last season.
With the dawn of the playoffs arriving this weekend, Reaves took time out to praise and compliment the man he calls his ‘best friend’ on the Lake Show’s squad: D’Angelo Russell.
Reaves’ comments come in the wake of LeBron James’ self-described ‘GOAT’ statements with son Bryce, which have sparked debate among fans. The Lakers’ players are attempting to shut out ‘personal’ history and narratives ahead of their game against Serbian phenom Nikola Jokic and Coach Mike Malone’s Nuggets.
Reaves is now campaigning for Russell’s re-signing in the City of Angels, ahead of the Lakers’ thrilling matchup with Denver. Reaves praises ‘Best Friend’ Russell Reaves, a native of Newark, Arkansas, praised Russell in an interview with HoopsHype.com. He wants the Lakers re-sign his ‘best buddy,’ the erratic, explosive, and widely tattooed shooting guard.
“I want him to be around,” Reaves said. “That’s probably my best friend on the team. We hang out off the court and golf a lot together.
“We’re constantly in communication and play Call of Duty together,” Reaves added. “He’s been one of my closest friends since I’ve been in the NBA.”
Austin Reaves expects D’Angelo Russell will stay with the Lakers, since they have huge plans for the future.
Last playoffs, Reaves scored just under 17 points per game, serving as somewhat of a coming out party for the former Oklahoma Sooners standout. Reaves averaged one point fewer per game than his 2023 playoff performance during the 2023-2024 regular season (15.9 ppg), although Russell averaged an impressive 18 points per game this season.
The intriguing Lakers pair receives little attention, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis dominating the headlines, but make no mistake: they are the X-factors for the Lakers’ 2024 playoff run, if there is one. To stay up with Coach Malone’s reigning champion Nuggets, Anthony Davis must lock down Jokic to the best of his ability, LeBron James must maintain his age-defining play, and Russell must score early and often.
“Obviously, his basketball play speaks for itself with how talented he is and what he can do for our group,” Reaves said about Russell’s impact on the team. “We need him to be at our best. When he’s playing at his best is when we’re playing at our best. Anything we can do or I can do to help him stay around, I’m definitely going to try to do that.”
