LOS ANGELES — There are a handful of players who are more important to LA’s success this season than Jake LaRavia, but on Friday night, he took center stage for the Lakers.
With Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura
currently sidelined with calf issues, everyone who is available has to step up a bit more to keep Los Angeles afloat.
So, with Memphis in town for a pair of games, LaRavia got his first start of the new year, and he delivered, with 21 points and nine rebounds in LA’s 128-121 win over the Grizzlies.
While LaRavia getting the start isn’t typical, whether he starts or comes off the bench, his role is clear.
LaRavia is one of the head coach JJ Redick’s “banshees,” meaning he has to do all the hustle work and knock down whatever few scoring opportunities he gets.
To start 2026, he accomplished just that, being a versatile defender, setting screens, crashing the boards and converting on eight of his 12 field goal attempts.
“I think he’s just made a really concerned effort of late with what we call effort offense, cutting, crashing, running, beneficiary of that tonight,” Redick said after the win. “He hit a big three there in the fourth. [Marcus] Smart hit a big three in the fourth. Vando had a big three in the fourth. So just getting those guys to make shots when there is two on the ball is huge for us.”
The best players make the hard plays look easy, and LaRavia demonstrated this with his late-game basket.
With LA up by four with 2:26 left in the contest, Luka Dončić drove into the paint with the shot clock winding down. It appeared as though he wanted to shoot near the rim, but after the Grizzlies’ defense collapsed on him, he tossed LaRavia the ball.
The problem was that, not only was the pass a bit too low, forcing LaRvavia to bend low to grab it, but he had just a second to get the shot off. LaRavia did just that, knocking down the three and giving LA a seven-point edge.
It was one of his eight made field goals on the night and the climax to what was a stellar offense showing for LaRavia.
While his best moment came late in the game, he knew early on it was going to be his night.
“The first shot went down and kind of felt good after that, to be honest,” LaRavia said. “So, I knew pretty early.”
LaRavia won’t always be a starter for the Lakers or shoot as well as he did against the Grizzlies. But he doesn’t need to. If he continues to be a star in his role, he’ll shine brightly here in Southern California.
During his postgame media availability, he was still shining, draped in a Jeff Hamilton Lakers jacket. It’s rare to see a player get dressed after a game and still have the team’s logos all over his body, but that’s exactly how LaRavia presented himself.
As a kid born in Pasadena, California, he knows better than most what it means to wear the purple and gold.
“We understand and I understand, the impact that it has, to play for this team and the impact it has, for the fans to come out and watch us every game and support us and cheer for us,” LaRavia said. “So, I wear the Lakers with pride across my chest every night.”
If he keeps playing like this, people will be wearing his jersey with pride all over LA. And no one will wonder who No. 12 on the Lakers is anymore.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
