Austin Reaves’ farewell to LeBron James includes golf promise

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Austin Reaves’ farewell to LeBron James includes golf promise

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Benedetto Vitale, ClutchPoints | Last updated Jul 1, 2026 6:59 PM ET

Austin Reaves will not have LeBron James as a teammate for the first time in his NBA career next season after James announced he is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. With the 41-year-old forward seeking a new team, Reaves shared a farewell to the future Hall of Famer.

Reaves posted on his Instagram account a thank-you message to James. The 28-year-old guard also promised he’d see LeBron James on the golf course soon. From the sounds of it, Reaves plans on maintaining a friendship with the four-time MVP beyond basketball.

“Thank you for everything,” said Reaves to James. “See you on the golf course soon, brother!”

from austin reaves’ ig: pic.twitter.com/usFMpb1QuY

— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) July 1, 2026

Austin Reaves played five seasons with LeBron James after signing with the Lakers as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 NBA Draft. By his third year with the franchise, Reaves emerged as a go-to teammate for James and has continued to ascend ever since.

The 2025-26 campaign was the best year of Reaves’ career so far. The former Oklahoma Sooner averaged 23.3 points (career-high), 4.7 rebounds (career-high), 5.5 assists, and 1.1 steals (career-high) while shooting 49.0% from the floor and 36.0% from beyond the three-point line. However, Reaves was limited to just 51 games due to two separate lower-body injuries.

As for James, the four-time NBA champion will be playing his 24th season next year. His final campaign with the Lakers did not end with a ring, but he looked solid throughout most of the season. LeBron James ended the 2025-26 season averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He also owned a 51.5% field goal percentage while hitting 31.7% of his three-point attempts.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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