After growing up a Lakers fan, Jake LaRavia’s dad could hardly have been more excited about his son signing with the franchise.
The Lakers’ signing of Jake LaRavia was a bit unexpected this summer, especially considering he was one of the first calls of the offseason.
It’s a gamble that putting him in a larger role will lead to bigger results. And while the result of that gamble is to be determined, there is some good that’s come away from it already.
During his intro press conference, LaRavia revealed that his father, who grew up a Lakers fan, could hardly have been happier that he signed with the purple and gold.
“My dad’s super excited,” LaRavia said. “He grew up out here. Pasadena is where me and all my brothers were born. My dad’s super excited. He was a big fan of Magic growing up. When he got the news, he was on the verge of tears.”
At a young age, LaRavia and his family moved to Indianapolis, but the love for the Lakers clearly never went away. After bouncing around during college and the pros, LaRavia finally found his way back to Southern California.
Does this actually matter in an on-court sense? Not really. But does it make it more fun to root for someone who comes from a Lakers family? Absolutely.
It’s a bit reminiscent to Austin Reaves, whose grandma was a Kobe Bryant fan who, according to him, taught him Mamba Mentality. It immediately endeared him to Laker fans before his on-court production did the rest.
There’s a pretty clear path for LaRavia to replicate that could immediately make him a big-time fan favorite as well. And even if all that doesn’t work, at least his dad got a really great moment.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.