The United States of America has bounced back from a heavy defeat against Lithuania. They won against Italy in the Quarter Finals of the FIBA World Cup 2023. The 25-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves has captivated audiences around the world even before the start of the tournament. Now that he is in the Semi-Finals along with the rest of the team, Reaves has gained the recognition of his teammate, LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion shared an empowering message for Reaves on Instagram just days after he was insulted by the Philippines crowd.

LeBron James is proud of his Lakers teammate

The USA had a blowout 63-100 win against Italy in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Hours after this massive win, LeBron James has shared a special message for his teammate.

Austin Reaves scored 12 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds in the impressive win coming off the bench. Not only his impressive stat line, but Captain America’s putback dunk during the game is also doing the rounds on the internet.

“H.I.M“, wrote 38-year-old James while sharing a reel of AR15’s dunk on his Instagram story with his followers on the social media platform. Interestingly, Reaves was preferred over the NBA’s All-Time Top Scorer a few days ago. A young Filipino fan went viral across social media platforms. People caught him on camera with a bold sign which read ‘Reaves > LeBron James‘. Not only on social media platforms, but the young fan also got a spot on Philippines’ CNN.

Mikal Bridges and Reaves fire USA to the Semi-Finals

Despite his massive popularity, it wasn’t Austin Reaves who grabbed most of the headlines after the Quarter Finals victory. It was Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges.

He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and scored the highest points for his team. Bridges ended the game with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assists in just 18 minutes on the floor.

READ MORE: “Greatest Italy Team” Go Down Like a Sinking Ship as Mikal Bridges’ Masterclass Wrecks FIBA Dreams

What are your predictions for the FIBA World Cup 2023? Let us know in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: Shaquille O’Neal Subtly Warns Austin Reaves and Anthony Edwards of a Storm Coming, as NBA All Star-Led Rivals Smoke Latvia to Overshadow Team USA