LeBron James on Reaves' Undrafted Status and Rise

LeBron James offered a candid assessment of Austin Reaves' overlooked draft status during a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast, attributing the 2021 undrafted outcome to superficial judgments rather than a lack of skill. The Los Angeles Lakers forward, joined by Reaves and Steve Nash, emphasized how teams misjudged the guard's potential based on appearance and fit, despite his evident talent from college highlights at Oklahoma.

James recounted his initial impression of Reaves, saying, "They look at him, judge a book by its cover situation. I saw the talent. That guy that I'm seeing is, there's no way he goes undrafted. Come on, man." Reaves, who turned 22 that year, provided his own perspective on the draft process, noting that after the lottery selections, teams often sought high-upside, younger and more athletic prospects. "I think the draft, too, is you got your top 15 players, or whatever the lottery is, and then after that, I feel like teams just try to hit home runs," Reaves said. "And then my age, I was 22 I think coming out, so they're like go young, go athletic, and I wasn't either of that. But I could help somebody win."

Reports indicate Reaves and his...