Los Angeles Lakers host pickleball tournament featuring LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves
Last Edited
Nov 28 2025
Category
News
The Los Angeles Lakers held a team pickleball tournament last week during a 5-day break in their NBA schedule.
While the Lakers have some of the best players in all of basketball on their roster -- LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to name a few -- the tournament was won by bench player Jake LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque.
In the final, LaRavia and Levesque met Dončić -- who has made headlines in the past for his love of pickleball -- and assistant coach Ty Abbott.
James, Rui Hachimura and assistant coach Greg St. Jean formed a three-man team, but lost in the first round to Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Dončić said during a press conference that his team took down Lakers head coach JJ Redick's team in the semifinals, and Redick was "pissed" afterward.
"I loved it," Dončić said. "Every second of it."
Like most true pickleball players, Dončić threw his partner under the bus after the loss in the final, saying Abbott was "all power, no touch."
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