The Los Angeles Lakers were on the edge of disaster — but Austin Reaves refused to let them fall. With Luka Doncic and LeBron James both sidelined, the 27-year-old guard has turned into a one-man highlight reel, averaging an absurd 40.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over his last three games. The energy inside Crypto.com Arena has shifted — the crowd chants his name, the city is buzzing, and even national analysts are asking the unthinkable: do the Lakers even need LeBron anymore?
That’s not clickbait — that’s Colin Cowherd’s actual take. After watching Reaves dismantle the Kings and Timberwolves, the veteran broadcaster dropped a truth bomb that shook Lakers Nation. “Are the new owners — not the Buss Family — thinking to themselves, ‘Maybe, it’s LeBron we don’t need?’” he asked on air. Cowherd pointed out that the new ownership group, with deep pockets and long-term plans, has already committed to JJ Redick and Luka Doncic as the franchise cornerstones. And now, Reaves — younger, cheaper, and undeniably hungrier — is forcing them to rethink everything.
It’s wild to imagine: the Lakers, the franchise built on superstar legacies, suddenly looking to a small-town kid from Arkansas as their future. But Reaves’ recent performances are impossible to ignore. His efficiency is through the roof, his confidence unshakable, and his leadership shockingly natural. Without LeBron or Luka, he’s not just surviving — he’s dominating. Every possession runs through him; every highlight belongs to him.
The shift feels symbolic. For six years, LeBron was the Lakers — the face, the ticket seller, the savior who brought banners and relevance. But time moves fast in the NBA, and business moves faster. Reaves represents the new model: efficient, marketable, less drama, more value. Cowherd summed it up bluntly: “He’s younger, healthier, cheaper — and let’s be honest — less maintenance.”
Behind the scenes, whispers suggest the Lakers’ new brass is quietly embracing this changing of the guard. The extensions for Redick and Doncic were just the beginning. Reaves, who’s outperformed nearly every expectation since his rookie year, might now be the missing piece in a modern “Big 3” — Redick, Luka, and himself.
If this is truly the dawn of a new Lakers era, it’s one built not on star power, but on chemistry, hustle, and heart. And if Reaves keeps this up, the Lakers might not just survive without LeBron — they might actually thrive.
Because right now, the spotlight doesn’t belong to the King. It belongs to Austin Reaves — the unexpected ruler of Los Angeles.
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