Ramona Shelburne Oct 22, 2026, 07:00 AM ET

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Senior writer for ESPN.com

Spent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily News

The first few hours after a team is eliminated in a playoff series rarely offer much time or space for reflection. The season is still too raw. The reasons behind winning and losing still feel important, even though it'll be months before they can be addressed.

But Austin Reaves and LeBron James knew enough about the uncertainty of their respective futures last May to know it was best to say their goodbyes before they left the Lakers' locker room.

"I wasn't a LeBron fan growing up. I was a Kobe [Bryant] guy," Reaves told ESPN, when asked what he remembered about the hug he and James shared that final night they shared as teammates.…