WHY JAKE LARAVIA IS THE LAKERS’ UNSUNG HERO OF THE 2026 SEASON
Jake LaRavia is active for the Lakers vs Bulls! Discover the latest on Austin Reaves' recovery and the Lakers' 2026 road trip.
JJ Redick, now the Lakers’ head coach, gathered his team during the first quarter against Portland at the Moda Centre on January 17, 2026. The Lakers are in the middle of their annual Grammy road trip, and they just got a timely boost: Jake LaRavia is good to go for Monday night’s game in Chicago.
LaRavia was questionable earlier in the day with a sore left quad, but he’s cleared. That gives the Lakers another steady hand as they try to push their road trip record to 3–1.
At 24, LaRavia has really come into his own. He’s playing bigger minutes, and he’s making them count. Just last game, he helped spark the Lakers’ comeback win in Dallas—13 points, six rebounds, and a couple of threes. He’s started 14 games in a row now, giving the Lakers a mix of perimeter defence, rebounding, and scoring that’s hard to find. The numbers back it up: 11 points, 5 rebounds, over 2 assists, and nearly 2 steals per start, shooting almost 47% from the field and a solid 35% from deep. He moves all over the floor, defends multiple positions, and spaces the offence. No wonder Redick keeps him in the rotation.
Actually, LaRavia’s the only Laker who’s played every game this year. That streak keeps rolling in Chicago.
This road trip matters for the Lakers, and lineup stability is the name of the game. LaRavia’s consistency has been huge, especially with the rest of the roster dealing with injuries. The team is just half a game behind Houston for the fourth spot in the West, and every win counts.
Redick can stick with his preferred rotation now, even with a tough stretch of back-to-backs coming up.
And there’s more help on the way. Austin Reaves could be back as soon as Wednesday in Cleveland. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said Redick plans to keep the current starting lineup—LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart—until Reaves returns.
Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell mentioned that Reaves has been making progress, with no setbacks so far. Redick said Reaves got through a “stay-ready” game, and they’re hoping for one more full-court run before he’s cleared.
Redick didn’t hold back about what the Lakers have missed with Reaves out. He talked about the “violence” Reaves brings—how he attacks defenders with IQ, angles, and brute force. “First with a knife, then with a sledgehammer,” is how Redick put it. Before the calf injury, Reaves was in the best stretch of his career: nearly 27 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds a game, shooting over 50% from the field.
Rui Hachimura can’t wait to have Reaves back, but he wants to make sure he doesn’t rush it. “Honestly, I forgot he was on the team for a bit—I think since Christmas?” Hachimura joked. “We’re happy he’s coming back, but he should take it slow. I had the same injury, and you have to be careful. But he was the biggest reason for our great start. He can do it all. We’re excited.”
With LaRavia active and Reaves nearly ready, the Lakers look close to full strength just as their road trip heats up.
CORY UNDLIN AND MIKE RUTENBERG NAMED FINALISTS FOR BROWNS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOB
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator search: Cory Undlin, Mike Rutenberg, and Jason Tarver fight for the 2026 DC role
Cory Undlin, who used to run the Detroit Lions’ defence, is now in the mix for the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator job.
So, here we are. The Browns have been hunting for Jim Schwartz’s replacement for about ten days now, and they’ve narrowed it down to three names. A decision’s coming soon.
Mary Kay Cabot from Cleveland.com reports the finalists: Cory Undlin, who’s currently the Texans’ passing game coordinator; Mike Rutenberg, who handles the same job for the Falcons; and the last in-house option, linebackers coach Jason Tarver.
The Browns need a new coordinator because Schwartz is out; he was frustrated after the team passed him over for the head coach job when they fired Kevin Stefanski. Schwartz had the defence humming, too. His first year, they finished No. 6 in Pro Football Focus’ rankings, then No. 8, and last year, they jumped to No. 2.
Only one candidate left from inside the building: Tarver. There’s been a lot of talk about keeping Schwartz’s “wide nine” approach, even if someone else takes over. That definitely helps Tarver’s cause since he’s been on staff under Schwartz for three seasons.
Tarver’s been a defensive coordinator before, but it didn’t go great. With the Raiders from 2012 to 2014, his defences ranked 28th, 29th, and 32nd in points allowed. Not exactly a glowing record.
Still, keeping Tarver would probably go over well with the players and coaches, especially those who weren’t thrilled with how the Schwartz situation played out. But there’s also a case for new head coach Todd Monken bringing in someone he knows and trusts. That’s where Undlin comes in; he and Monken go way back to their Jaguars days nearly twenty years ago.
Undlin also spent time with Schwartz on the Eagles’ staff from 2016 to 2019.
Then there’s Rutenberg, who’s kind of the wild card. He doesn’t have any clear ties to Monken or the Browns. He’s only been with the Falcons for a year, and before that, he coached linebackers for the Jets from 2021 to 2024.
Monken told reporters at his first press conference that he hoped Schwartz would stay, but he also said the Browns could run Schwartz’s system without him. He made a point that it’s the players, not the coordinator, who make the defence work.
That’s only part of the story. Under Schwartz, plenty of guys who hadn’t really stood out before started playing at a new level, like Maliek Collins, Alex Wright, and Devin Bush. Even Myles Garrett, one of the league’s best pass rushers, gave Schwartz a tonne of credit.
“I don’t think I get two DPOYs without Jim,” Garrett said last week. “He helped mould my potential as a player and put me in a scheme that fit me. He let me do what I do best: rush the passer and attack up front. See the ball? Go get it.
“So, can we keep that going? It’s about the guys we have in the locker room. We all need to be on the same page, focused on the mission, and attack it with urgency.”
THE SIXTH RING? WHY MICHAEL JORDAN CLAIMS DAYTONA 500 GLORY FEELS LIKE NBA TITLES
Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing wins the 2026 Daytona 500! See MJ’s emotional reaction to Tyler Reddick’s win and his NBC Sports move.
Jamal Crawford didn’t hold back; he called Michael Jordan’s move to NBC Sports a game-changer, and you could tell he felt proud to join him as a teammate.
But the real headline came earlier, at the 2026 Daytona 500. When 23XI Racing took the checkered flag, Michael Jordan just stood there in victory lane, clearly overwhelmed. He watched Tyler Reddick soak in the biggest win of his NASCAR career, confetti raining down, and then pulled his driver into a hug. It was one of those moments that felt straight out of Jordan’s own basketball glory days.
This win was huge for a team Jordan and Denny Hamlin only started back in 2020. What began as a brand-new Cup Series entry has turned into a serious contender. On Sunday, all that hard work paid off on NASCAR’s biggest stage. Sure, Reddick’s gutsy move on the last lap clinched it, but Jordan’s reaction to how much this meant to him and the whole team really told the story.
Jordan compared the Daytona win to winning an NBA title. Standing in victory lane, he tried to put it into words: “This is what it feels like to win a championship. We’ve built this from the ground up, and to see it pay off like this… It’s indescribable.”
A little earlier, talking to FOX, he admitted the whole thing felt surreal: “I can’t even believe it. It’s so gratifying. We had four guys really fighting and helping each other out. You never know how these races will end. You try to survive.”
He kept coming back to one thing: teamwork. Jordan made a point to call out Riley Herbst for his push in those final laps: “I thought Riley did an unbelievable job pushing at the end. That’s what teamwork is all about. He doesn’t get enough credit and probably won’t, but we feel the love, and we know exactly what he did.”
For Jordan, that win was about more than just a last-lap move. “We just hung in there all day. The team had a great strategy and gave us a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic. I don’t even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know.”
He knows how much work goes into superspeedway racing: the preparation, the timing, and the drafting partners. It’s a group effort, start to finish.
For 23XI Racing, this wasn’t just another win. It’s the biggest moment in their short history. Since 2020, they’ve grown from a single-car team to a regular threat in the Cup Series. Now, they’ve got a Daytona 500 win under their belt.
Jordan’s been front and centre for all of it, pushing the team, raising its profile, and living out that relentless drive for excellence. After the race, cameras caught him celebrating with fist pumps, big hugs with Reddick, and the whole team pouring into victory lane.
Later, Jordan reflected on the journey. He’s always chased greatness, and now he sees that same fire in his NASCAR crew. For a guy with six NBA championships, winning the Daytona 500 just proved he still has that competitive edge. This time, instead of the hardwood, the celebration happened right there at Daytona International Speedway: his team, their win, and one of NASCAR’s biggest moments.