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reported by Lakers Nation editor Daniel Starkland, Austin Reaves said he would pick Luka Doncic and the Mavericks to win for a straightforward reason: he can’t choose Boston.Austin Reaves humorously stated:
“I gotta go Dallas just because I can’t choose Boston.”
The LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics are tied for the most titles in NBA history with 17 each.The Lakers secured championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010 and 2020.
Meanwhile, the Celtics, dominant in the ’60s, won titles in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986 and 2008.Reaves is just one of many Lakers personnel who do not want the Celtics to win, as it would mean Boston surpassing them for the most championships in history.
Austin Reaves says young teams make the Lakers’ championship hopes harder
In the same interview, Austin Reaves discussed the increasing difficulty of the Lakers’ path to a championship, pointing to the rise of young teams like the OKC Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
When asked about what the Lakers need to do to return to championship contention, Reaves responded:
“It’s a tough question because it’s such a tough league. There’s so many teams that are growing, you see like the OKCs, the Minnesotas and obviously the two teams that are left, young teams that have been together for a while and learned to play in a system around one another (per Daniel Starkland).”
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Reaves noted that these teams benefit from their players developing together within a consistent system.
“I feel like that’s something you need in any sport you play, like consistency in basically a system and just growing that with what we have.
Reaves expressed his hopes for the next Lakers coach, emphasizing the need for a championship-driven mindset.
“I think that we’re heading in the right direction, obviously with a coaching change coming up. I don’t know when they’re hiring a coach, so I’m right there with y’all on that news. But hopefully we get somebody that comes to work every single day the way that we do ready to go try to win a championship.”
