Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura were two of the best players for the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs last year, besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis. L.A. needed them to help with scoring in addition to the stars, and they made their causes stronger.

Both players got paid well after the playoffs and hope to keep up their good play in the future. Both have had tough seasons this year, but they are still important to the Lakers for what they do.

Since the All-Star break, the attack has been on fire since Hachimura and Reaves got back into the starting lineup. The Arkansas native talked about how his friendship with Hachimura has changed since Hachimura joined the team in January. He joked that Hachimura wouldn’t talk at first, but now he won’t stop.

Reaves said, “I love Rui.” “I didn’t know if he spoke for the first two weeks after he sat next to me on the plane last year. After getting to know him better, I can’t get him to stop talking. Oh, I wish we could go back to those times! But no, Rui is a great guy who is always happy and smiling. “Just someone nice to hang out with, and that carries over to the court.”

The same thing Hachimura said: they didn’t talk much at first but are now very close.

“Have I ever been that way? “At first, I’m a little shy, but I’m just getting to know people,” Hachimura said. There aren’t many people I want to talk to like that. But after we get used to each other, I start to show a little more of myself. But yeah, Austin and I have gotten along great since the first day I was traded here. Last year, we looked for spots and re-signed with the Lakers together. We’re both the same age. Because he’s funny, we always talk a lot on the bus. He talks crazy all the time, but that’s just him. He’s great at everything he does, whether it’s hoops, anything else, or just playing games. Being with him is fun because he always wins. “He talks all the time, but I don’t mind; that’s just who he is.”

This season hasn’t gone as planned, with many ups and downs, but it’s clear that the team works well together. Having a good relationship with coworkers during the tough parts of the regular season is helpful. Reaves and Hachimura are two examples of this.