“Kind of All I Have Ever Known”: Austin Reaves Opens on Playing Without LeBron James for Lakers

With LeBron James finally leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, the roster is set to miss his dynamic playmaking and prolific scoring, and Lakers star Austin Reaves is already feeling the effects of James' departure. Back in the 2021-22 season, the Lakers brought in the rookie Reaves as an undrafted free agent. Since then, AR has had the opportunity to play next to LeBron James for half a decade.

James acted as Reaves' mentor as the 28-year-old guard evolved into one of the Lakers' brightest stars. But after five seasons of playing together, AR is set to play in his sixth season without the King by his side. A few weeks after LeBron announced he would no longer play for the Lakers, Reaves finally broke his silence on the situation per an X post by ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin.

"I don't know if I've honestly processed it yet...Starting the season without (LeBron James) on the team is going to be different for me. That's kind of all I've ever known. Him being around, joking around, acting like he's 15. But that's his decision. ... I've got nothing but love and respect for him."

While Reaves is processing James' exit per the interview, he is entering his first season as one of the top guys on the roster. Earlier this summer, AR signed a four-year contract worth $184.7 million with the Lakers. It's a huge leap compared to his previous four-year contract worth $53.8 million.

It also helped that his tandem with Lakers guard Luka Doncic has proven to be a powerful combination during the 2025 regular season. The duo without James posted a 9-2 record over 11 games in 2026, showing that they're enough to lead the team to success.

An 81.1% win rate across 11 games offers early evidence of Reaves-Doncic chemistry. It's a good enough glimpse to see what they're capable of achieving together.

Meanwhile, we are yet to hear about LeBron's next career move. With Jonathan Kuminga reportedly connected to the Lakers, Doncic and Reaves are hoping for a strong 2026 season beginning in mid-October.

The Doncic Partnership: Austin Reaves' Path Forward

While Reaves is bothered by LeBron James' exit, the good news is that Luka Doncic is still around. Throughout the 2025-26 season, everyone has noticed a budding friendship between Reaves and Doncic. There have been multiple videos of the duo trolling each other both on and off the court.

Despite them claiming not to like each other in a humorous manner, Austin Reaves and Luka are apparently friends. Reaves recently opened up about his relationship with the Slovenian star.

"Luka, he's one of my best friends on this planet," Reaves said as part of the same interview.

"I talk to him almost every single day. ... I feel like we kind of see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. The competitive nature is one of the biggest reasons."

Last season, fans were robbed of the opportunity to witness the duo of Doncic and Reaves in the 2026 playoffs. Many argue that had they not been injured late in the regular season, the Lakers might've made a deep playoff run, if not won the championship.

With that said, many are now intrigued by how different and stronger the duo will be with LeBron completely out of the picture.