LeBron James addresses Rich Paul’s controversial podcast comments on Austin Reaves

RC Nazemi

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LeBron James addresses Rich Paul’s controversial podcast comments on Austin Reaves image

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Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Atlanta Hawks at home in an attempt to end the three-game skid they were on. 

They did bounce back on the second night of a back-to-back and actually looked the best they've looked in some time. 

Luka Dončić performed outstanding as usual, the bench contributed in ways we haven't seen in weeks, and LeBron James had one of his best performances of the season, coming up just one rebound short of a 30+ point triple-double on 50%+ from the field. 

MORE: LeBron James moves past Kobe Bryant on impressive Lakers record list

After the game, however, answering questions about his or the team's performance was not at the forefront of the media's minds. They wanted his thoughts on his agent's most recent comments regarding his teammate, Austin Reaves. 

James was sure to let them know exactly how he felt about the comments and Reaves. 

LeBron James addresses Rich Paul's podcast comments on Austin Reaves

On a recent episode of Rich Paul's podcast Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, Paul brought up the idea of trading Austin Reaves for Jaren Jackson Jr of the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Paul cited the Lakers needing an anchor around Luka Dončić moving forward, as well as the interesting choice to put most of the team's money solely into the backcourt. 

Paul makes some interesting points, but at the end of the day, it's not his call to make as he's not a member of the team's front office. His voice, as one of the biggest agents in the game, does carry enough weight to make headlines, however. 

Tuesday night, James was sure to put the noise to rest. 

On top of mentioning his close relationship with Reaves, James was also sure to highlight his agent's autonomy, saying, "He is his own man, and that is his platform."

It's unlikely the Lakers pull the trigger on a move like that in what many consider to be a gap year for the team, but it does bring up interesting conversations. 

Hopefully, none of Paul's comments moving forward will be enough to derail any kind of success and chemistry this team is able to find. 

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