Austin Reaves reached a milestone in his career—but it’s not one he particularly wanted. As the NBA returned tonight after the All-Star break, with a clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets, where LeBron James’ team ultimately fell 100-97, what stole the show was Reaves’ outburst and the ensuing drama. But before we get to that…

The Lakers did seem a little rusty coming off the break. While they were leading 65-53 with four minutes left in the third quarter, the Hornets made a head-turning 22-1 run. What’s more? The Lakers unceremoniously missed 10 straight shots within a 6:39 span, and James was mostly a hit and miss. He finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists, going 10-for-22 from the field, including 4-for-11 from beyond the arc, but couldn’t save his team from the heartbreak, after missing two crucial 3-pointers in the final seconds of the game, giving the Hornets their second win in 11 games, and themselves, a two-game losing streak.

Luka Doncic, on the other hand, scored 4 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in his third game for the team.“Obviously, it’s going to take a little time. Today, a lot of rustiness from my part. Started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can’t happen. Just got to play basketball the right way,” Doncic remarked after the game.

Having said that, it was Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball who shined for Charlotte, with 29 points, and a lay-up, two free throws all within the final 15 seconds of the match, respectively. And if this wasn’t enough, the Lakers also happened to experience another controversy during the game.

26-year-old Austin Reaves suffered his first career ejection, after a behavior broadcaster described as “unreasonable.” 

The incident unfolded during the third quarter when the referees didn’t call a foul on Jusuf Nurkic, for obstructing Reaves, while he was charging the basket. So, as expected, the shooting guard was frustrated, and reacted how anyone probably shouldn’t—by yelling and complaining to referee Rodney Mott. The ripple effects were felt immediately after with a technical foul. Reaves didn’t back down though, as he continued harping on the situation, leading to a second technical foul, and ultimately an ejection. I mean, talk about a double whammy!

As he headed to the locker room, Reaves flung his headband into the crowd. A little parting gift for the fans, maybe? Even the broadcasters seemed blamed him for the ejection. “He had a legitimate gripe on the foul call that wasn’t called,” the broadcasters noted, acknowledging Reaves’ frustration. “No call, and there’s what getting the first technical—the swing of the hand. The second technical was due to some verbiage, and that was directed toward that same official. And you get to quick ejection.” And soon enough, they also handed an unfortunate verdict to the young player.

“He got unreasonably bitter. Then, got ejected,” they said. Were the broadcaster right? Should Reaves have controlled his emotions in the heat of the moment? Well, teammate LeBron James certainly doesn’t think so…

Talking to ESPN‘s Dave McMenamin after the game, the veteran opined, “He had every right to argue this call. But what he said after that I don’t think it warranted him getting kicked out.” Further talking about the probable reason why his teammate got ejected, James mentioned, “That he said the ‘F-bomb’ too many times. But he said it in the beginning and left it alone and he said it’s pretty obvious. I think, Rodney [Mott] thought he said it again. But he didn’t say it again.”

Even head coach JJ Redick appeared confused about the call as he mentioned how he “he didn’t think what Austin Reaves said warranted an ejection” as per LoJo Media on X. “I didn’t get a good explanation,” the coach reportedly mentioned.

Notably, Reaves risks a $4000 fine as the NBA fines $2000 for every technical foul up to 5 instances. The player finished the game with just eight points in 27 minutes. On a regular night, he’s been way more productive, averaging 19.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Efficiency? Not bad—44.6% from the field, 35.9% from three over 47 games. But tonight? Cut short.

What’s more sad is officials ended the 26-year-old’s night early, right after his teammate talked about his ceiling.

Teammate praised Austin Reaves and predicted he’ll be an All-Star

Markieff Morris, a key piece of the Lakers’ 2020 championship squad, is back in purple and gold after landing in the Luka trade. And let me tell you—he’s already weighing in on Reaves. In just a few games, Morris has seen Reaves evolve. Since his 2021-22 debut, Reaves has stepped his game up to average 19.1 points and 6.2 assists a contest.

Remember when a couple of summers ago people thought predicting him as a future All-Star was a stretch? That notion is looking a whole lot more realistic now. On his podcast, Morris raved, “That boy AR, man, Austin Reaves, he different man,” Morris said. “He one of the coldest.”. He further added, “It’s different when you just catch a glimpse of it, but then when you see it game after game — I’ve only been there for four games, but he’s one of the coldest. … I definitely see a future All-Star.”

With Doncic and LeBron on the roster, the Lakers will inevitably change Reaves’ role. His assist numbers might drop while his shooting percentages could rise as he plays more off the ball.

Since the Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell in December, Austin Reaves has averaged 20.9 points and 7.0 assists per game. If he finds his groove and gets back to nearly 40% from three like two seasons ago, his All-Star future won’t be far off. Playing for the Lakers boosts his visibility, but cracking the Western Conference lineup is a tall order with so many talented guards around.