Whether it entails complementing his star teammates with timely 3s or defensive stops, Jake LaRavia has increasingly impressed the Lakers for putting himself in the right place at the right time.

“He just has a real intuitive feel for the game,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “He’s got a knack for the game. He does. He just knows how to play.”

Who knew that would also extend to the pickleball court?

During a team outing last Friday, LaRavia and Lakers assistant coach Beau Levesque won the tournament against star Luka Dončić and assistant coach Ty Abbott. That setting reveals what has also made him a valued role player after the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $12 million deal.

The Lakers (13-4) enter Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks (5-14) with the Western Conference’s second-best record primarily because of Dončić’s MVP performances and Austin Reaves’ All-Star caliber play. LeBron James has only enhanced the team’s play since returning for the past three games by embracing an off-the-ball facilitating role. But the Lakers have also leaned on their roster depth. That includes LaRavia, who has averaged 9.9 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range, along with 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 26.9 minutes per game, both as a reserve (17 games) and starter (six).

LaRavia spoke to EssentiallySports about his pickleball tournament victory, his early chemistry with his star teammates, and more.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

Can you give me the play-by-play on how you and Beau won the pickleball tournament?

LaRavia: “Domination down the line. Beau and I were steadily dominating every game. He’s played pickleball before, and I played pickleball this whole summer as a cardio thing. We ended up playing Luka and coach Ty in the Finals. We smacked them.”

Why did the final game play out the way it did?

LaRavia: “A lot of great shots by me and a lot of great shots by Beau. And a lot of missed shots by those two guys.” (laughs)

What was the trash talk like?

LaRavia: “We were dominating so much that there wasn’t even the ability for the opposing team to trash talk. Beau and I were keeping it low-key. We weren’t saying too much.”

You had the chance to rub it in, though!

LaRavia: “Yeah, for sure. I’ll rub it into Luka sometimes. But I mostly just leave it alone.

Just let the play speak for itself?

LaRavia: “Exactly.”

What did you expect going into the tournament?

LaRavia: “I never played pickleball against any of these guys. But I just knew that I played before, and I’ve been pretty good. So I felt good. I thought I had a good chance at winning it all. Then it ended up happening.”

What was your off-season setup with playing pickleball?

LaRavia: “Yeah, so I was in Toronto all of the offseason with my wife. Her family had gotten into it. So I thought I’ll try it for some cardio. So I would play against my wife and her stepdad in games of 2-on-1. I’m out there running side to side and doing that. That prepared me.”

How did those games go?

LaRavia: “I would win. I would win. It’s a fun sport.”

Besides the pickleball tournament, what has the experience of being with the Lakers been like so far?

LaRavia: “It’s been great. We have a great group of guys. Just to be able to play with AR, Luka and ‘Bron has really been beneficial for me. It’s a very exciting team. It’s a great city. There are great fans. So the whole experience so far has been really good.”

It’s only been a few games, but how has LeBron impacted you when you’ve been on the floor together?

LaRavia: “It’s really just his passing ability. I’m able to get a lot of cuts with him when he has the ball. We have a couple of set plays. But a lot of times when he has the ball in his hands, I know that he’ll be able to find me if I get a backdoor cut or if I just cut off ball. Honestly, we’ve connected a lot already in the small amount of games that we’ve played in. It’s been very beneficial.”

LeBron is LeBron. But how did you meet that moment, considering you haven’t actually had a lot of time playing together?

LaRavia: “It’s good to be able to connect with a player of that caliber. Being able to click early is going to help down the road. It’s for me to have that high IQ and being able to be ready when to cut and when to space. And then just doing following through.”

How does your chemistry compare to Luka?

LaRavia: “It’s pretty much the same thing. They both pretty much have high IQs and have great passing ability. They have so much pull offensively when they have the ball as far as defenders looking at them and locking in on them. That allows me to create space off the ball, cut off the ball and get open shots.”

You took on the challenge with guarding Kawhi [Leonard]. What was that like?

LaRavia: “Just being physical. That’s the biggest with guys like that. They hit a lot of tough shots. So it’s about being physical before they even get the ball and try to make it a little bit tougher for them to get a catch and don’t let them be comfortable. Then, when they do get the ball, really the only thing you can do is try your best to contest and continue to be physical.”

You also got switched up on [Ivica] Zubac and you forced a steal. How did you pull it off?

LaRavia: “He’s a big body. So I was literally just trying my best to push him off his spot. I know that he likes getting to his right hook over his left shoulder. So when he caught the ball, I tried to play that angle. I ended up getting the stop.”

JJ has often talked about how you know how to play. What went into developing those instincts?

LaRavia: “I feel like I’m a player that can adapt to any situation that I’m in. Obviously, in this situation, we have a lot of offensive talent. So it’s really just about figuring out what each game is going to be for me. Some games, I obviously score more. Some games, I come in and my main thing is going to be defense, crashing and being a disruptor. That’s what the game against the Clippers was about. It was about defensively stopping Kawhi from getting going. It’s really just about plug-and-play, matchups, and figuring out what the game is going to be like.”

You talked a few weeks ago about making it a point to finish strong at the rim. But what other turning points early on for you to feel comfortable here?

LaRavia: “It’s just really been about playing with all of the guys and being connected with everyone. It’s our communication on and off the court and our chemistry. The vibes on our team are very good. So that makes it much easier on the court.”

With your pops growing up in Pasadena, what do you remember what he talked about Magic and the Lakers?

LaRavia: “I remember he went to one of Magic’s camps growing up. He grew up a fan of Magic himself and also that team. He was super excited when I signed out here. He thought it was really cool that with me growing up in Indiana, being born in Pasadena and now playing for his hometown team. That was really cool for him. He didn’t really talk too much about his games. But I knew that he was a huge Magic fan.”

Have you been able to go back to Pasadena ye

LaRavia: “To be honest, I haven’t been back since I left.”

Leaving you on a lighthearted note, can you explain why you like pineapple pizza?

LaRavia: “It’s a good topping. I think it belongs on there. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But I don’t know. I like it.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.