It was apparent to anyone who watched the Los Angeles Lakers last season that the relationship between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves had grown into full blown best friendship. The two were constantly cracking jokes at each other’s expense and making fun of each other while also being an unstoppable duo on the court.
Aside from adding a center this offseason, the other top priority for the Lakers and Doncic was re-signing Reaves and they did just that. Returning to the Lakers was also what Reaves wanted to do and he was open about his desire to remain in L.A. When discussing why his heart was with the Lakers throughout his free agency process, Reaves mentioned the organization and coaches, but also Doncic.
“I just think it’s the organization, the coaching staff, obviously my relationship with the guys who were on the team last year,” Reaves recently told reporters. “And Luka, he’s one of my best friends on this planet. Talk to him almost every single day. He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better and I tell him I’m not a coach. But yeah, just the people in this organization, how they run it and the coaching staff is a big reason. I feel like we kind of see eye-to-eye on a lot of things and their competitive nature is one of the biggest reasons.”
The Lakers organization as a whole has always valued Reaves and spoken very highly of him. But the friendship with Doncic was one of the most entertaining pieces of last season and the fact that the two will be able to continue on for years to come is great for everyone involved.
Last year, Doncic and Reaves were the highest scoring duo in the entire NBA and they will look to build on that next season with a new supporting cast. Injuries also hampered both of their seasons, including the playoffs, so both will undoubtedly come into the new year with a chip on their shoulder. There will surely be plenty more jabs at each other this season, but make no mistake both are singularly focused on pushing the Lakers towards a championship.
Luka Doncic to host entire Lakers roster for minicamp in Slovenia
With LeBron James gone both Doncic and Reaves will need to take on more of a leadership role for the Lakers going forward and that is already taking place as Doncic will be hosting the entire Lakers roster for a four-day minicamp in his home country of Slovenia.
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