Austin Reaves Was Having a Perfect Day on the Golf Course Until LeBron James Ruined It

Austin Reaves was out on the golf course, probably enjoying a cold drink and a nice round, when his phone buzzed with news that stopped the backswing cold. LeBron James was leaving the Lakers.

And Reaves, for all the millions he’s about to make, was genuinely heartbroken.

“I texted him,” Reaves said. “I told him I was having a great day on the golf course until he ruined it.”

That’s the kind of honesty you don’t get from most NBA teammates. But Reaves has always been a little different. Undrafted out of Oklahoma. Earned every minute. Signed a $185 million contract extension. And somewhere in between all that, LeBron James became something close to a mentor.

What LeBron Meant to Reaves

“I don’t have enough time to explain how much he means to me and my career and what he’s done for me,” Reaves said. That’s not just teammate talk. For a guy who came in as a nobody and turned himself into a 23-point-a-night starter, having LeBron in your corner changes everything.

Reaves averaged 23.3 points and 5.5 rebounds this season. He missed the last five regular season games with an oblique strain. Then he missed the first four games of the playoffs. The Lakers got swept by the Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals, and you have to wonder if a healthy Reaves changes that series at all.

But the bigger story here is the relationship. And Reaves made it clear: the door isn’t closed.

“There’s nothing but love and respect,” he said. “And when he comes to LA, I need to see him out on the golf course. Maybe play a couple holes or something.”

That invitation is probably genuine. LeBron got Reaves acting like a guy who lost his best buddy to a new job, not a guy who just watched a superstar walk away in free agency.

Of course, the Lakers have to rebuild now. LeBron is gone. Anthony Davis is still there but the roster around him looks thin. Reaves is suddenly the longest-tenured core piece. That’s not a position anyone expected him to be in when he was grinding in the G League two years ago.

But for one afternoon on a golf course, Reaves just wanted to complain to his friend. And then he wanted to make sure that friend still comes around for a tee time. That’s about as human as NBA drama gets.