Austin Reaves and LeBron James' friendship continues to evolve. That much is clear after cameras caught their interaction on Friday during the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Houston Rockets.
Reaves has been sensational this 2024-25 season, stepping up as a brilliant third option for the Lakers, especially after the team traded away Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.
Reaves is averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season. His numbers since the Davis trade have been particularly noteworthy, as he has averaged 22.6 points.
On Friday against the Rockets, Reaves came up big again and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Lakers took a 140-109 victory.
One particular moment that turned a lot of heads during the game, however, was James' behavior toward Reaves. As the 26-year-old headed to the bench midway through the fourth quarter, the four-time NBA MVP greeted him with a headlock to show his affection. The two proceeded to do a funny celebration, jumping up and down amid their dominant performance over Houston.
The Lakers shared a video of the moment and captioned their post with, "Mood."
Mood pic.twitter.com/EdVi3XSukq
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 12, 2025
Sure enough, fans quickly reacted to the exchange, with many highlighting the strong bond that LeBron James and Austin Reaves share.
"Love them," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "Man, this is just so good, great chemistry."
"Vibes.. just immaculate," a fan remarked.
"I am liking Reaves more and more with each game," a social media user shared.
Another poster stated, "My fav duo needs a ring."
It remains to be seen how far the Lakers can go with James, Reaves and Doncic leading the way. By the looks of it, though, L.A. is peaking at the right time as the playoffs near.
