Exclusive: Ripping into the regular season with Grizzlies' Jake LaRavia
Yesterday at 07:15 PM
The Memphis Grizzlies have high expectations for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season now that Ja Morant is back in the lineup. Fans in the FedEx Forum looking down the depth chart will see a championship-level supporting cast as well. For example, Jake LaRavia’s lethal three-point launches bring a huge boost to the rotations. However, after long offseason workouts, LaRavia ripped into another lifelong hobby to relax.
ClutchPoints caught up with the 22-year-old sharpshooter to talk sports cards and new releases before the Grizzlies start tackling the upcoming 82-game slate. First, we had to tackle how it felt to have a rookie card on the checklist and how many LaRavia limited editions were in the collection.
“It was kind of surreal for me. Now, the biggest thing for me is being able to collect my own cards,” LaRavia grinned. “I got a crazy collection of myself…”
Talking with @jacob_laravia3 about having a rookie card and the newest chase going into the #NBA regular season.#Grizzliespic.twitter.com/84tXpE5qsS
— Dodson, Chris Dodson (@DoingItDodson) October 22, 2024
Collecting started at a young age, and the scouring did not stop after grocery store runs.
“I would go to garage sales and stuff like that just to find cards,” LaRavia shared. “I just liked everything about the experience and collecting my favorite players…As a kid, it was just about collecting my favorite players. I just found that cool and liked the experience of being able to seek out cards.”
Collectors focusing on now-antique cards need not worry about LaRavia leaping on any vintage stock soon. Well, unless it’s something from his hometown. The personal collection is mostly modern but there are always exceptions.
“I’m a 2001 kid so I ain’t into the 80s or early 90s,” LaRavia laughed. “I grew up in Indy so Paul George, Danny Granger, George Hill, and that Pacers team. On the Colts side, you got Dallas Clark, Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and dudes like that. It’s kind of like the whole lot of local dudes I grew up watching.”
Grizzlies’ Jake LaRavia giving back to hobby community
LaRavia signed a deal with Panini but his fans are reaping the secondary benefits. Product hits will not stay hidden in sealed cases with the Grizzlies reserve guard around.
“I love opening up packs,” LaRavia admitted. “I go up to Nash Cards Memphis during the offseason a good amount and when (Victor Wembanyama) came out I was chasing cards like that. Football I’m chasing CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson. But I love ripping packs.”
The rewards for fans go beyond just having someone else take the chance on some cards and then releasing the hits into the wild. LaRavia and Panini are pulling some stock for limited releases, which receive one-of-one inscriptions during giveaways.
“Panini sends me custom cards and stuff like that for some giveaways (on the WhatsNot app),” replied LaRavia. “I’ll inscript the card to whoever wins the giveaway with stuff like ‘Go Grizz’ or to their son. I’ll put a little inscription on it to give back to the community like that.”
Those who do happen to hit LaRavia’s short prints could even be in line for a once-in-a-lifetime fan experience. All of LaRavia’s hits are live too, never lifted from the packs before launch day.
“I don’t ever keep them from my signings. I’ll give them all back and wait for the product to come out. Then I’ll buy them,” explained LaRavia. “I’ve actually grown a big enough community with a card Instagram (bigmemphiscards3) where people will hit me up when they have one of my cards. We can do a deal and if it’s like a bigger card like a one-of-one it might be (swapping) for a game-used jersey. It creates a full fan experience.”
Grizzlies get A+ grade for Jake LaRavia draft
LaRavia should have no problem extending his professional experience into a second contract. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 threes, and just under one steal per game last season. The second-year pro shot 38.9% from the field, 34% from beyond the arc, and 82.9% from the line to show a skillset that belonged in the NBA. Year three is all about sticking in Taylor Jenkins’ rotations.
Well, that and hoping the next hobby box does not have any cards stuck together. Those are tough and will never get a Gem Mint grade. Grading LaRavia’s season next summer will be easy though. Continue developing and help the Grizzlies get past their postseason opponents one shot at a time and it’s A-pluses all around a contract negotiation table.
Maintaining momentum should not be a problem based on last season’s last week and this summer’s progress. Over the last seven games played LaRavia posted 18.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals/blocks. He shot almost 44% from beyond the arc on 6.9 threes attempted per game. And LaRavia got better with every repetition, including a brutal last week going against three squads fighting for postseason positioning.
LaRavia averaged 29.7 points per game while shooting 54.9% from the field and posting a 74.4% true shooting percentage in the last three games of the season. The Indiana State and Wake Forest alum was good for an other-worldly 56.5% from three-point range on over eight attempts a night. That’s nothing to sneeze at considering those three games game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Just don’t sneeze around the cards. LaRavia might be locked in but those cards still need to be protected in top-loaders.
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