"Kyrie disrespect is diabolical": NBA fans grill former Laker for bold take on Austin Reaves as best No. 2 option over Mavs star

Nick Young sparked a heated debate on social media after making a bold claim about Austin Reaves and Kyrie Irving. During an appearance on Gil’s Arena, the former Lakers player suggested Reaves might have been a better second option than Irving this season. His controversial take quickly went viral, leading to widespread backlash from basketball fans.

“Right now at this stage, not saying overall, is AR a better number two option than Kyrie?” Nick Young asked the “Gil’s Arena” panel members.

The clip from the talk show went viral in no time, leaving fans enraged. Social media users were baffled at how Young could make such a bizarre statement disrespecting Kai.

“Kyrie disrespect is diabolical. Kyrie is a champion,” a user said.

“What has Austin Reaves done to be getting Kyrie comparisons,” @KazHeatCulture rhetorically asked.

“Damn I love Reaves but this kinda talk is wild,” another user wrote.

“Nick must be high,” a user commented, implying that Young wasn’t in his senses at the time of this take.

“Man, I’m a lakers fan but hell no,” @kicks_storeNG wrote.

“Bro !!! Stop that dumb s**t, this is embarrassing,” a user wrote.

Co-host Josiah Johnson pointed out that Reaves averages 28.6 points, 8.4 assists and 6.8 rebounds in eight games this season without LeBron James in the lineup. However, many fans said comparing an eight-game stretch to Irving’s full-season performance is unfair.

Irving was the consistent second option for the Mavericks all season, earning an All-Star selection while averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.

While Reaves is in the middle of a career-best season, comparing his impact to Irving is a stretch. Until Reaves can consistently prove himself as a reliable #2 option over a longer sample size, Young’s take will continue to be regarded as invalid.

Austin Reaves receives compliments from Luka Doncic

LeBron James sustained an injury during the Los Angeles Lakers matchup against the Boston Celtics on March 8. Since then, Austin Reaves has stepped up in a big way, establishing himself as the team's second option behind Luka Doncic.

Although JJ Redick’s squad has gone 2-3 in James’ absence since that game at TD Garden, Reaves' outstanding performances have been a major bright spot. Over this stretch, the 26-year-old guard has put up impressive numbers, averaging 28 points, 7.6 assists and seven rebounds per game. His stellar play even earned high praise from Doncic following their latest victory over the Spurs.

“I mean, this guy just scored 30 in his 4th game in 5 days. He's an amazing player. For him to go undrafted is unbelievable. It's not easy to go undrafted and play at this level, and it's amazing just to be by his side,” Doncic said in the postgame press conference.

With LeBron expected to be sidelined for at least another week, Austin Reaves will need to maintain this level of play as the Lakers navigate through a challenging stretch - the Nuggets, the Bucks and the Bulls - to wrap up their five-game homestand.