The Los Angeles Lakers have opened the 2026-27 season with three straight wins, but Austin Reaves’ comments about team chemistry have sparked a debate over the culture following LeBron James’ departure.
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The discussion followed the Lakers’ 132-123 comeback victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Los Angeles overcame an 18-point deficit, with Luka Doncic scoring 52 points and Reaves contributing 29. Asked afterward how the team held together after a rough start, Reaves credited its approach.
“We have a team that understands roles and what is asked of them to do,” Reaves said on Spectrum SportsNet. “That’s the beautiful thing about our team is there’s no egos. There’s no anything. You just want to win basketball games.”
Reaves’ no-egos comment sparked debate online, and some fans read it as a message to James, who left for the Philadelphia 76ers this summer.
“I’m kinda tired of him taking subliminal shots at Bron. He owe alot to Bron but he act like Luka his f—-ng daddy,” one fan replied. Another, BaseballRuiner, tagged James directly: “@KingJames hear that? No ego.”
Some fans went further. “Basically said Mr. Ego lebozo shames is no longer here,” wrote one.
While one brought money into it. “Yeah lebron 41 years old wants max dollars. Hit the road with that ego drama,” Irshad wrote. That claim doesn’t match the facts. James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, a veteran’s minimum contract that pays him about $3.9 million this season after he made $52.6 million in his final year with the Lakers. Reaves is the one on a max deal, having re-signed for four years and $185 million in June.
Reaves joined Los Angeles as an undrafted player in 2021 and developed into a key contributor while playing alongside James. When James announced he was leaving, Reaves told the California Post he had texted James that he was having a great day on the golf course “until he ruined it.”
“I don’t have enough time to explain how much he means to me and my career and what he’s done for me,” Reaves said. “There’s nothing but love and respect.”
There is a clear roster change behind that interpretation. Doncic now leads the Lakers’ offense, with Reaves serving as another major scoring option. Their combined 81 points against Utah demonstrated their offensive production, but one game cannot establish whether the team’s new dynamic is better than the previous one. Reaves’ statement could simply reflect the responsibilities and priorities of the current group.
That conclusion is premature. Three wins offer an encouraging start, but the Lakers will need to sustain their production and cooperation through a full season before any lasting change in team culture can be assessed. Doncic’s scoring and Reaves’ contribution against Utah show the potential of the current partnership; they do not establish that James was responsible for a lack of chemistry.
Reaves was, in a way, describing a group that has accepted their roles. Whether that holds up for the full season or not is what will show the Lakers’ culture.