It sure seems like Austin Reaves isn’t going anywhere! Although Rob Pelinka has made no moves to upgrade the Lakers roster so far and could get significant assets in exchange for AR15 if he wanted to, he reportedly has no intentions of letting the guard leave. But why the hesitation? While fans are left scratching their heads, Lakers young buck Max Christie might have dropped the answer in a recent interview.

As part of a quickfire trivia on the Sloane Knows pod, Christie was asked who he thinks is the biggest fan of LeBron James on the Lakers roster. He replied, “I think Austin (Reaves) was a pretty big LeBron fan growing up, so I’m gonna say Austin.” Obviously, playing under LeBron’s leadership for the last three years in LA, it makes sense why Austin would fanboy over the veteran star. And it’s possible that Pelinka does not want to mess with their amazing chemistry by trading Reaves to another team.

Moreover, King James has also developed immense trust in the 26-year-old guard over the years. During his Mind The Game podcast with now Lakers head coach JJ Redick, James said, “It comes with trust. Obviously last year, the Memphis series, AR gained a lot of trust from me, but also, I had to trust in him to make the play.” Sure enough, James was referring to the first-round series where Reaves exceeded expectations by averaging 16.5 points and five assists in six games.

On top of that, he scored 23 points in his playoff debut which proved that he can deliver when the lights are bright. “I felt like if I could get AR, and instill AR with that confidence in the fourth quarter to make plays and win that game, it was just gonna pay dividends for the rest of my time with him, and the rest of his time when I’m not with him.” LBJ added. So, this trust could be why Reaves has gained almost an ‘untouchable’ status in trade talks.

Was Austin Reaves really a LeBron James fan growing up?

Although Christie said it in the interview, Reaves was never a LeBron fan growing up. No! It’s not a rumor. He said it himself last December on Redick’s podcast, “I was a huge Kobe fan… It’s out there publicly like I wasn’t a huge Bron fan just because I was a Kobe fan.” Moreover, his dislike for King James was so strong as a kid that he even posted a viral Kobe meme on social media twelve years ago when LeBron was still pursuing his first championship. “When I need some peace and quiet, I set my phone to LeBron mode: No Ring.” The meme read, throwing shade at the now four-time champion.

Sure enough, AR’s post was brought back to life recently by fans and instead of denying it, he directly clarified things with LeBron. Telling him why he was not a fan as a kid, Reaves revealed that King James “burst out laughing” after his honest confession. However, now that AR has seen up close and personal how great LeBron is and how dedicated he is to the craft, Reaves might have eventually turned into a big fan like Christie claimed. And even the Lakers Nation loves the LBJ-AR15 connection. Do you agree?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger