Lakers' Austin Reaves reveals real reason behind fortune-changing headband look

Midway through this season, Austin Reaves decided to start wearing a headband. While the move sparked some jokes online, with some fans joking that Reaves must have purchased VC to buy accessories, a joke stemming from NBA 2k25, it was Reaves who had the last laugh.

He began to average more points, accompanied by performances like his career-high 38-point outing in mid-January.

Reaves' play has been so impressive that he's being called the best third option in the league and, according to one anonymous executive, the best undrafted player since Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.

In an ESPN article by Dave McMenamin released on Tuesday previewing the Lakers, Reaves spoke about his decision to start wearing the headband in early December. At the time, the Lakers were 10th in the Western Conference, and Reaves was dealing with a pelvic bruise that forced him to the sidelines.

With vibes at an all-time low, Reaves decided it was time to act:

"I just remember when everybody got back, everybody was kind of just in a fog," Reaves said. "So I randomly was like, 'F--- it, I'm going to put a headband on and see if I can make somebody smile.' They all just looked at me like I was crazy and just started laughing. I was like, 'Well, I accomplished my goal.'"

Since then, LA has been reinvigorated by the acquisition of Luka Doncic, which has helped the team climb to third in a competitive West as Austin Reaves averages career highs across the board.

"It worked for you," - LeBron James reveals he took some inspiration from Austin Reaves when deciding to start wearing a headband again

In the wake of the Luka Doncic acquisition, the LA Lakers went on a tear, ascending the Western Conference standings while proving they can be a lockdown defensive team despite lacking frontcourt depth.

While their play since the Doncic trade has generally been pretty impressive, the team hit a bit of a slump late last month when they went 1-4 over a span of five games, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls twice.

When the team traveled to Memphis for a showdown with the Grizzlies on March 29, Austin Reaves noticed LeBron James was wearing a headband.

As the future Hall of Famer recalled to ESPN:

"He looked at me and said, 'Oh, you wearing a headband?' I said, 'Yeah, you know, s---, I've been a little bit out of rhythm," James said. "I need to change the energy in this b----.' And I said, 'It worked for you.'"

LA went on to win the game 134-127, and since then, the team has gone 3-1, with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

With the team clicking on defense and their shots falling from beyond the arc, only time will tell whether the team can make a deep postseason run.