After suffering two consecutive losses, the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back in their recent game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Austin Reaves slams LeBron James' criticsLeBron James and Austin Reaves (Photo by Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images)
Superstars LeBron James and Austin Reaves excelled in the absence of Luka Doncic. James scored 40 points, recorded four assists, and grabbed eight rebounds, while Reaves contributed 32 points, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks. Their outstanding performances led the Lakers to a 110-102 victory over the Blazers

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James was selected for his 21st NBA All-Star Game but missed due to soreness in his foot and ankle. This interrupted his streak of 20 consecutive All-Star starts. As a result, James faced significant criticism, with some suggesting that he had something to prove. However, after delivering a dominant performance against the Trail Blazers, Reaves defended James against his critics. The Lakers guard argued that the four-time NBA champion has nothing left to prove.

“He really doesn’t have anything else to prove. And if people say he does, then they’re Jordan fans,” Reaves said in a recent post-game interview.

James and Michael Jordan, a legend of the Chicago Bulls, are often featured in debates about who is the greatest of all time (GOAT). Jordan’s supporters frequently criticize James during these discussions. Reaves referred to those critics in his statement.

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Previously, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James would be reevaluated for his foot soreness and would play at least one game. However, the four-time NBA champion started both games against the Charlotte Hornets and the Portland Trail Blazers. In a recent post-game interview, Austin Reaves reflected on his conversation with James before these two games.

“You see the things of don’t know he is going to play either one of these last two games and I just asked him after practice ‘You playing?’ just piqued my curiosity and he was like ‘I’m playing both’ and I was like ‘Hell Yeah,” Reaves said.

The Lakers are currently in 5th place in the Western Conference standings, with a record of 33 wins and 21 losses in the ongoing 2024-25 NBA season. Their next game is against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.