Nineteen games into the 2025-26 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the league, with the team sporting an impressive record of 15-4 after crushing the New Orleans Pelicans 133-121 on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers are currently in second place in the Western Conference, behind the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who hold the best record in the league at 20-1.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the Lakers’ success this season has been the remarkable chemistry and level of play of the dynamic backcourt duo of superstar Luka Dončić and rising star Austin Reaves.
Epic Banter Between Lakers’ Stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Continues
Not only are Reaves and Dončić playing at an incredibly high level right now, but the off-court relationship between the two Lakers stars is pure comedy, as both love taking subtle shots at one another while speaking to the media, as they both did after beating the Pelicans on Sunday, via Underdog NBA’s X account.
“You know, I gotta keep Luka’s confidence high,” Reaves said after Sunday’s game. “I don’t need to outscore him two nights in a row.”
Reaves never holds back when going at Dončić, and the same goes for when the Slovenian product takes jabs at his American teammates, as their shots at one another after games are now expected and hilarious.
“I appreciate him,” Dončić said of Reaves. “I’m gonna go talk to him now and say thank you.”
“I appreciate him. I’m gonna go talk to him now and say thank you.”
Luka Dončić had jokes about Austin Reaves missing a FT to let him finish with more points on the night 🤣 pic.twitter.com/29EgjZ4DCa
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2025
It seems as though Reaves and Dončić are having a blast playing alongside one another, which has carried over to their off-the-court banter. It’s no surprise why, as both players are incredibly unselfish and seem to flourish sharing the floor in a Lakers uniform.
The new Lakers’ backcourt dynamic duo has been so potent this season that they made NBA history on Sunday, becoming only the fourth duo in half a century to each score 30 points or more in three straight games, according to the NBA’s X account.
With Reaves and Dončić clearly on the same page and playing the best basketball of their respective careers, the sky is the limit this season, as there’s a chance the Lakers could make some noise in a stacked Western Conference, with their sights set on taking down the Thunder.
