Luka Doncic finally admits he loves playing with Austin Reaves: "The last compliment I'll ever give him"

Other than the Los Angeles Lakers disrupting the balance in the Western Conference, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are thriving as a duo.

And beyond the banters, handshakes and trash-talking, this chemistry is translating to wins.

In last night's 129-119 win against the Dallas Mavericks, Reaves starred with a game-high 38 points and eight rebounds, while Doncic had 35 points and 11 assists. This is the second straight game this duo has scored 30+ points.

The Lakers went undefeated in NBA Cup group play and earned a home-court advantage in the quarterfinals. They have also won six straight games, remaining in second place in the Western Conference with a 14-4 record.

But more importantly, Doncic and Reaves have finally complimented each other.

"He's been amazing the whole season. He's been helping me a lot. Just great to have him on my team," Doncic said of his teammate. "Together, we can do a lot of things. Happy to be his teammate."

Reaves compliments Doncic back

Less than four minutes into the game, Reaves made a dunk and raised two fingers after, signalling that he has two more than Doncic this season.

This became a main point of discussion during their postgame interviews.

Roasting each other during postgame interviews has been a running joke between the two. It does not matter whether either of them has a great performance; they always find a way to talk smack about each other.

But the pattern was broken against the Mavericks when Doncic finally let his guard down and showed Reaves some love.

"He's very good… That's probably the last compliment I'll ever give him," he said.

Reaves, who has been averaging 27.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, couldn't resist sending a compliment back his way.

"I usually don't give Luka too many compliments, but he's been one of the best players in the league," he said. "Every night they're gonna throw a blitz on him so then you play advantage basketball. At that point me and a lot of smart players just make the right read, that's what we continue to do." 

Doncic, too, has been playing out of his mind, averaging 35.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists. The Arkansas native thought a compliment was only proper. But like Luka, he made sure to draw a line.

"That's the ONE compliment I'll give him," Reaves stressed.

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Doncic has settled in

When the Mavericks traded Doncic in February, fans and pundits were concerned with how he would fit into not only the Lakers' system but the culture in general. After all, Doncic himself admitted that he thought he would stay in Dallas forever.

However, he knew that dwelling in the past was counterproductive, so he focused on enjoying his time in L.A. The process was made easier by his teammates, who strengthened their bond through training camp and offseason activities, such as the Porsche driving experience.

Now, only 18 games into the season, Doncic seems fully adjusted to being a Laker. And Reaves — with his pinky handshake and trash-talking with the Slovenian superstar — has been a huge reason why.

Related: LeBron James calls his G League stint humbling: "It's part of my love of the game"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.