Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia might not be a household name, but he's currently facing a pivotal Game 6 opportunity in Houston to staunch the bleeding and carry the LakeShow past the Rockets after squandering a 3-0 series lead down to 3-2. But if LaRavia's going to meet his secondary goal off the court, he's going to want to do the dirty work and stay semi-anonymous in his efforts.
Because, if the Wake Forest product gets too much of the spotlight, it may be tougher for him to convince the general public to part with his most expensive cards and send 'em back to him.
LaRavia opened up to NBCLA this week about his unique strategy for both connecting with fans and getting some of his juiciest cards back into his personal collection. More so than ever before these days, social media has created an avenue for players who collect to make certain their valuables aren't lost to history. MLB Debut patches have become a common Christmas gift for rookies' family members to track down and deliver to their rightful landing spot. But sometimes, dudes like LaRavia do the dirty work themselves instead of leaving it to chance (and family goodwill).
Using Lakers teammate Luka Doncic as a point of pricing comparison (we'll let it slide), LaRavia showed off the most valuable LaRavia cards in his personal collection, while highlighting one in particular: his Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket superfractor 1-of-1 auto.
As LaRavia describes his emotions at the time: "I want this card, but I have to return it to Panini." Very relatable (probably).
Lakers' Jake LaRavia's personal inscription got his most valued superfractor back into his collection
In order to increase his chances at attaining the card, he wrote, "DM Me" on the front. The strategy worked on two fronts: it both established a personal connection with whoever pulled it and kinda tanked the card's value, depending on how you feel about personalizations/inscriptions (and Jake LaRavia).
In any case, it worked - the card landed elsewhere, the lucky fan tracked down LaRavia in his Instagram DMs, and the rest is history.
Take note: If LaRavia is as tenacious about tracking down loose balls as he is about making sure Panini's property eventually lands back in his hands soemday, there's no way the Lakers are dropping Game 6.
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