Lakers’ Jake LaRavia relishing opportunity to play in all 82 games

ORLANDO, Fla. — Lakers forward Jake LaRavia already knew about the achievement. 

When speaking with the California Post inside of the visitor’s locker room at Kaseya Center before the Lakers’ road win over the Heat on Thursday, LaRavia recalled exactly how many games ago he set a new career-high for the most games he’s played in a regular season.

It happened during the March 14 home win over the Nuggets, which was the 67th game LaRavia played this season, surpassing his 66 games played in 2024-25. It was also the Lakers’ 67th game of the season.

And with LaRavia having played in every game of the Lakers’ ongoing six-game trip that continued with Saturday’s matchup against the Magic at Kia Center, he remained on pace to play in all 82 regular season games – a goal he said that he set for himself after last season. 

“I was on pace for whatever it was last season, then I got hurt when I was in Sacramento,” LaRavia told the Post. “It was kind of like the first three years of my career, kind of just had been riddled with injuries. So it’s unfortunate. It’s not like I could have controlled any of those things. 

“However…everyone says the same thing: the best ability is availability. So I just really tried to make that my goal this year. I’m on pace right now. And hopefully, God willing, everything stays on track and I’m good to play all 82. But I’m just glad that I’ve been able to have a healthy stretch.”

LaRavia played in the first 33 games of 2024-25, and 66 of 72 games, before sitting out of the final couple of weeks of the season after suffering a broken left thumb — the type of injury that was largely out of his control. 

But LaRavia’s taken a stronger grasp of the things that can be controlled to help him not just be available every game, but play however many minutes the Lakers need from the 24-year-old forward. 

LaRavia’s 1,732 minutes played entering Saturday may not sound like a lot (they ranked No. 83 across the league entering the weekend), but they’re 383 more minutes than he played last season.   

He said he’s been on a “pretty strict diet” since hiring a chef before the start of last season. But the biggest change for this season has been his work in the weight room.

“It’s the most I’ve lifted in my career,” LaRavia told the Post. “So credit to credit to that for why I’ve been able to not only not get injured, but to be able to play through these little knickknack injuries that I might have sat out previously for.”

He added: “It’s mostly maintenance lifting. Just keeping everything strong so I don’t have to worry about going in and [twisting] my ankle a little bit and now I’m out. I can twist my ankle a little bit and still be able to play through it.”

Lakers star Austin Reaves remembers the challenge of playing the entire 2023-24 regular season. 

It’s why he isn’t shy to provide a reminder that he actually played 83 games that season, including the Lakers’ NBA Cup final over the Pacers in December 2023. 

He recalled there were internal conversations of resting him for a game at some point in late December 2023 or early January 2024, but that didn’t come to fruition. And once he had played every game through February, he knew he wanted to push himself to play the entire season.

“Not a lot of people are able to say that they’ve done it,” Reaves told the Post. “So I was like, ‘let’s do it.’ I remember the last game we played in New Orleans, after all 83, I was like damn that ‘took a lot.’ 

Reaves, along with star forward LeBron James (2017-18), coach JJ Redick (2009-10), associate/assistant coach Nate McMillan (1994-95) and assistant coach Scott Brooks (1988-89; 1991-92; 1992-93) are among the Lakers who’ve played in every game of an NBA regular season. 

“It’s not easy; 82 games is a lot,” Reaves said. “It [takes] just a lot of mental toughness and lot of good fortune.” 

Playing in all 82 games has become less common.

Eleven players played in all 82 regular season games last season, down from 17 in 2023-24 (the first season of the Player Participation Policy for star players). Eighten players played in all 82 games a decade ago (2015-16) after 32 did in 2010-11 to start the 2010s.

When Redick played in all 82 games, he was one of 39 players to do so. LaRavia entered the weekend as one of 19 players on pace to play in every regular season game – a list that includes Magic guard Desmond Bane, who’s a former Grizzlies teammate of LaRavia’s.

“It’s very challenging,” Redick said. “It’s always been challenging. It’s very challenging now. [LaRavia] had talked about it early in the year, was a goal of his to play all 82 and he’s someone now in his fourth year, similar to my fourth year when I did it, who’s now in the rotation every night. And that hasn’t been the case for him throughout his career. So he’s taking advantage of a great opportunity.”

LaRavia’s counting stats don’t jump off the page (averages of 8.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 24.7 minutes), but he’s made an impact with his disruptive defense, offensive rebounding and physiciality – qualities the Lakers have known they could count on going into every game.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters