Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers secured another thrilling early-season victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-115. Leading the charge was guard Austin Reaves, who delivered a game-winning buzzer-beater floater, securing the win without LeBron James or Luka Doncic, both of whom sat out tonight. Following the thrilling game, Reaves not only delivered another standout performance but also etched his name into the franchise’s history.

After the game, Reaves was interviewed and revealed a historic milestone. “I know you don’t love talking about yourself,” the reporter joked, “but right now you’re averaging 35 and 10, 35 points, 10 assists. Only Magic Johnson and Jerry West have done that with this organization.” This is no small achievement for Reaves or the team, but when handed the mic to reflect on his run, Reaves made a statement.

“I’m still not gonna talk about myself,” he said, grinning after being told of the stat line. “It’s fun. I mean, I love to play the game of basketball, but obviously I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without, you know, our coaching staff believing in me, the players believing in me, and, you know, just having so much joy playing basketball. It’s fun.”

Afterward, Reaves pivoted, talking about his teammates. “I mean, we can talk about how big Jake was tonight. I think he was 10 for 11 from the field at 27. Just, you know, guys stepping up after, you know, after people going down, it’s big.” Forward Jake LaRavia was a standout tonight, converting on over 90% of his shots, including an impressive 8-0 scoring run. Reaves also dished out 4 assists to LaRavia, contributing to his 11-point performance.

This isn’t new for Reaves. The guard has evolved from an undrafted energy player into one of the team’s most consistent offensive threats. Reaves, in games without Doncic and James this season has averaged an astounding 40 points and 10 assists, including a career-high 51-point bomb against the Sacramento Kings, including 11 rebounds and 9 assists.

JJ Redick on Austin Reaves’ Rise as a Leader

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t mince words when asked about Austin Reaves’ growing role after the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “What tier he is, I don’t know. I don’t care about that,” Redick said. “But I think last year he established himself as a bad dude. This is who he is.” It summed up how far Reaves has come; from underdog to the heart of a Lakers team thriving off his confidence. His leadership now defines the way LA has closed games.

That’s exactly what Redick envisioned earlier this season. Before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the coach said, “I think the biggest thing was him taking a step forward as a leader,” Redick said. “Recognizing that it’s as much his team as it is LeBron’s team or Luka’s team.”

He talked about what he told Reaves directly: “You’re out of excuses. You’re no longer the undrafted guy who’s a young player who’s unproven. You’re one of the guys now.” This mindset, according to Redick, has unlocked a new dimension to his game.

Redick even recalled one particular sequence from the Blazers matchup: “I challenged that call in the fourth… We just set up a simple baseline out-of-bounds play if that call had gotten overturned, 1.3 seconds on the clock, and he’s coming out of timeout saying, ‘[Dalton Knecht], work your way under, I’ll throw the lob over the top.’”

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It’s these things – the poise, the ownership, the vocal presence – that have turned Reaves into more than just a sparkplug.

For Redick and the Lakers, this version of Reaves isn’t a surprise, but the standard he’s been waiting for. Now, as LA prepares for their matchup against the Grizzlies on Friday, they’ll look at Reaves to lead them into the first night of the NBA Cup.