Lakers’ Newest Forward Elbowed Dalton Knecht in Face in Scary Scene Last Year

Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht got into it with the team's latest addition during last season, which should make for an awkward meeting in the lock room.

More news: Who Is Jake LaRavia? Everything You Need to Know About Newest Lakers Forward

The Lakers signed forward Jake LaRavia on the first day of free agency, a player who provides some floor spacing and defensive effort that should fit well alongside Luka Doncic.

LaRavia played two and a half seasons for the Memphis Grizzlies before heading to Sacramento for the remainder of the last season.

Over his three seasons in the NBA, he averaged 6.9 points, 1.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game, getting 19 minutes of play on average. He shot 42.3 percent from three-point range last season while playing on two different teams.

LaRavia has a history with Knecht dating back to last, as reported by Dave McMenamin in an article on ESPN:

"With 5:46 left in fourth quarter, Knecht was elbowed in the face by the Grizzlies' Jake LaRavia and had to exit the game, his first start ending with him being examined in the locker room," he wrote

"LaRavia hit him so hard, sources told ESPN, there was initial worry that Knecht had suffered a broken jaw.

"A week later, Knecht and the Lakers had a chance at revenge, hosting the Grizzlies in L.A. This time, the kid who was named after Patrick Swayze's character in "Road House" entered the game with a different mentality.

"'Go for the throat,' Knecht told ESPN. 'They tried to embarrass us on their home court.'

"Beyond his still-aching jaw, Knecht was particularly miffed with how Ja Morant went at his teammate LeBron James, with the Memphis star 'saying that he was pretty much the new king around here when Bron's still in the league.'

"Whichever the grievance, the approach worked. Knecht scored 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting (5-for-5 on 3s) and made back-to-back crucial plays in the fourth quarter, first hitting a 3 off a James feed and then throwing a lob to backup center Christian Koloko for a slam that helped fuel a 128-123 victory.

"'They were real disrespectful,' Knecht said. 'We had that game ready on our minds.'"