“He Didn’t Play Like a White Boy,” LeBron James’ Viral Austin Reaves Remark About How the Lakers Guard Won His Respect

LeBron James’ recent comment about Austin Reaves is going viral. James said that when he first went back and watched Reaves’ college tape after the Lakers signed him, the first thing he noticed was that Reaves “didn’t play like a white boy,” adding that the guard’s “wiggle was very different.”

James was explaining what jumped out on film when he studied Reaves’ time at Wichita State and Oklahoma after the Lakers signed him in 2021. That first impression was enough for James. Reaves is no longer just an undrafted player who turned into a good story. He has become an important part of the Lakers’ offense and one of the clearest examples of player development on the roster.

James also said something about how Reaves earned trust inside the organization. Plenty of young players arrive with hype, but Reaves came in with very little of it after going undrafted. What James described was not hype at all. It was recognition of a skill set that already looked different on tape before Reaves ever proved it on an NBA floor.

Reaves did not arrive in the NBA with the kind of résumé that usually demands immediate attention. He played college basketball at Wichita State and Oklahoma, appearing in 122 games and averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists across those stops. Those numbers were solid, but they did not fully capture the on-ball creativity that became more obvious later in his college career.

1. Austin Reaves’ Backstory Explains Why LeBron Noticed Him So Quickly

LeBron James said, “After we signed him, I went back and watched a lot of his Wichita State highlights and games and then a lot of his Oklahoma highlights and games as well. The first thing I noticed, it’s kind of funny. We always talk about this. He didn’t play like a white boy. It was very different. His wiggle was very different. I mean, I grew up in Northeast Ohio, so I know white guys playing like white guys and white guys playing like the brothers.” Reaves’ transfer to Oklahoma gave him a bigger offensive role and more chances to show the handle, patience and change-of-pace game James was talking about. The 27-year-old was never built around overwhelming speed or vertical explosion. His style came from timing, craft and an ability to make defenders lean the wrong way. That is likely the “wiggle” James was referring to. Even after that, Reaves still went undrafted in 2021. Team USA’s player profile notes that he joined the Lakers as an undrafted free agent, which says a lot about where he stood in the league’s eyes at the time. He was seen as a developmental guard, not an obvious long-term piece for a franchise with championship expectations. What followed is why his story continues to flourish. Reaves earned minutes by making smart reads, playing with control and showing he could handle pressure possessions without looking sped up. That path tends to earn respect in a veteran locker room because it is based less on reputation and more on consistent answers. So when James says he saw something unusual in Reaves early on, he means to justify the larger arc of Reaves’ career. From being overlooked in the draft process to his rise in Los Angeles, James simply recognized them before most people did.

2. LeBron’s Own Career Arc Makes His Praise of Reaves Even More Significant

Part of what gives James’ comment extra weight is who he is at this stage of his career. At 41, he passed Parish by appearing in his 1,612th game. That kind of longevity gives James unusual authority when he talks about what he sees in young players. He is also still producing at a high level. James is averaging roughly 21 points, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds in his 23rd season. He is no longer carrying every possession the way he once did, but he is still central to how the Lakers function. The historical résumé is already untouchable. After all, he is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a 22-time All-Star, a four-time champion and a four-time MVP. When a player with that résumé says he spotted something in a teammate early, it is naturally going to land differently than it would coming from almost anyone else. That is where the James-Reaves relationship becomes especially interesting. Reaves is not just sharing the floor with an all-time great. He has grown into one of the players James trusts most on the roster, which is a major development for someone who entered the league without being drafted. Fans have noticed how James’ role has evolved recently. At this stage, part of his value is still production, but part of it is identification and empowerment. That’s exactly what James is aiming to do by spotting the strengths of his new teammates.

3. Reaves’ Rise Now Matters Directly to the Lakers’ 2025-26 Season

The Lakers are currently in a meaningful stretch of the season. They are 46-26 after a 113-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons on March 23, a defeat that ended their nine-game winning streak. Even in that loss, Reaves scored 24 points, which is the kind of line that shows how central he has become to the team’s offense. Before that, Reaves had another major game in a 105-104 win over Orlando, finishing with 26 points as the Lakers improved to 46-25. That win pushed the streak to nine and showed again that Reaves is not just filling space next to bigger names. He is often one of the players driving winning late in games. The broader shape of the Lakers’ season supports that point. During this run, the team has registered wins over teams like Houston, Miami and Orlando. And all of these victories showed different versions of the same formula: Luka Doncic leads the offense, James still steadies everything, and Reaves keeps showing up as the extra creator and scorer defenses have to respect. Reaves has also had bigger scoring bursts earlier in the season. On Feb. 6, he scored 35 points off the bench in a win over Philadelphia, another sign of his offensive ceiling. He can give the Lakers far more than hustle and spacing. He can become a featured scorer when the game calls for it. That is why James’ old first impression feels relevant now.

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• LeBron James
• Austin Reaves