Austin Reaves spent the last two seasons rising up from an undrafted rookie to a legitimate role player for the Lakers. But for most casual NBA fans, it wasn’t until he took a true, front-and-center national stage of the NBA Playoffs that they saw the player he had become.
Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzles in the opening round of the playoffs will serve as a memorable moment in Reaves’ career for many reasons. It was the day he introduced himself to that national audience and, in his words, changed his relationship with LeBron James for the better.