Austin Reaves says split-second timing spoiled attempt at Wade-James pose
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves admitted on April 2, 2026, that he could not duplicate the celebrated Dwyane Wade–LeBron James photo moments after completing a highlight-reel alley-oop from LeBron James.
The play instantly reminded fans of the 2010 image of Wade spreading his arms while James finished a dunk behind him. Reaves said the chance to recreate the pose vanished almost as soon as the ball left his hands, explaining that the fast-moving sequence left no time to turn and strike the familiar stance.
Although the dunk drew a roar from the Crypto.com Arena crowd, the still photo that followed showed Reaves simply jogging back on defense instead of stretching his arms wide like Wade. He joked that any future attempt would require a little advance planning with James.
The alley-oop remained one of the night’s top highlights, even without the planned celebration.
Source: New York Post
