Luka Dončić Reveals Austin Reaves Is His ‘Least Favorite’ Lakers Teammate Due to This 1 Reason
It hasn’t taken long for Luka Dončić to familiarize himself with his new home with the Los Angeles Lakers. After a spectacular career with the Dallas Mavericks, he made his way to LA as part of a blockbuster trade involving Anthony Davis. It took him a while to find his rhythm, but over the course of an entire offseason, where he dominated in Eurobasket as well, it looks like the Dončić of old is back.
The second major hurdle for him to overcome with his new team was establishing synergy with his teammates. That chemistry, along with their brief stint in the playoffs, wasn’t entirely on point during the regular season. But looking at the Lakers in the preseason, the Slovenian superstar is getting increasingly more comfortable in his new locker room. However, there might be a wrinkle to that chemistry, as the five-time All-Star revealed why the team’s self-built success story, Austin Reaves, is his least favorite player on the roster.
Luka Dončić Trolls Austin Reaves
An undrafted free agent signing for Los Angeles, Reaves first came into the spotlight in a game against Dončić’s former team, where he nailed a game-winning three in overtime to give the Lakers a victory.
Since that moment, the Hillbilly Kobe has been on an unidirectional trajectory towards nearing All-Star status, averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game last season, even as Dončić got assimilated into the squad.
This year, as LeBron James starts to take a backseat to the two younger studs, the focus will be on this duo to determine how far the team can go this season. From the looks of it, the two are getting along swimmingly, with a hilarious exchange highlighting their brimming chemistry.
As he spoke to reporters ahead of their season opener against the Golden State Warriors, Reaves came in from behind and shouted that the five-time first-team All-NBA selection was his favorite player on the team.
Immediately, Dončić had a fond yet exasperated expression on his face. Jokingly, he responded, “He’s my least favourite. He’s a big kid, very childish.” As the Lakers media shared a laugh, it was clear that the former scoring champion was only pulling his teammate’s leg.
With James out to begin the season, LA’s success will be tied to its backcourt. It looks likely that these two will start at point guard and shooting guard for the foreseeable future.
With a contract extension looming at the end of the year for Reaves, he’ll have an added incentive to have another career year to keep his upward trajectory going. That should bode well for the Lakers, who’ll try to capitalize on a championship window with the Dončić, Reaves, and James trio.
