Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has defended LeBron James for the NBA bubble championship. James has won four NBA rings in his glorious career and his last championship came back in the 2020 season, when the league was played behind closed doors due to COVID-19.

James and the Lakers strangely don’t get the deserved credit for that title but Austin Reaves said it shouldn’t be the case as it was not a Mickey Mouse ring.

Speaking on the BustaJack YouTube Channel, Austin Reaves said, “It’s not a Mickey Mouse ring. I think everybody had an equal playing field; it’s the same as every other year. I just think if (LeBron James) doesn’t win, then nobody says anything. … Everybody loves LeBron, but he gets so much hate (26:15).”

Meanwhile, in the 2020 NBA Finals, LeBron helped the Lakers secure their 17th championship. He averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, earning the Finals MVP award for the fourth time in his career.

The Lakers registered a 4-2 win against the Miami Heat in the NBA finals after going past teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets.

On the other hand, Austin Reaves has also risen through the ranks for the Lakers in the recent past.

Meanwhile, James averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists on 66% shooting in the Olympics and thus played an instrumental role in taking his team to glory.

LeBron James was named Olympic MVP after scoring 14 points with six rebounds and 10 assists in the summit clash and thus he will look to keep the good form in the upcoming season of the NBA.

The Lakers will begin their NBA 2024-25 campaign against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 22nd October at the Crypto.com arena.