Day After Puka Nacua’s Brother’s Arrest, Lakers’ $6,000,000 Forward Sends Message to NFL Star 

Lakers forward Jake LaRavia piqued the interest of fans with his message to Puka Nacua, just days after the NFL star’s brother was arrested for allegedly stealing Adou Thiero’s car. According to a report by NBC Los Angeles, Nacua’s brother and one other person were arrested for “taking Thiero’s SUV without his consent.”

On Friday, Nacua shared pictures from the LA Rams’ 38-37 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams lost, but it was quite a game for the wide receiver, who finished with two touchdowns and 225 receiving yards.

Jake LaRavia left a message for the NFL star under his post’s comments section:

“1️⃣2️⃣.”

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Jake LaRavia’s message to Puka Nacua

Fans found LaRavia’s comment interesting, considering his teammate was the victim of a crime allegedly committed by Nacua’s brother. It is also worth noting that the LA forward also wears No. 12, the same as Nacua.

The forward signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Lakers this offseason and will earn a base salary of $6 million per season, according to Spotrac.

He has been solid, averaging 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds, shooting 45.5%. However, LaRavia’s 3-point shooting has declined since last season, going down from 42.3% in 2024-25 to 32.1% in 2025-26 so far.

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Puka Nacua couldn’t hold himself back after meeting the Lakers' superstar

Over the last few days, Puka Nacua and the LA Lakers have been associated together for the wrong reasons, owing to his brother’s arrest. However, in February this year, Nacua got to spend time with LeBron James and couldn’t hold back his excitement.

“I just met our Glorious King LeBron James," Nacua said. I can’t stop smiling, I’m not even going to sleep tonight."

After losing to the Seahawks, Nacua and the Rams will prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. Meanwhile, the Lakers will face the LA Clippers on Saturday.

LaRavia and Co. are on a two-game winning streak and are 7-3 over their last 10 games. The team has done well this season, holding fourth place in a tightly contested Western Conference with a 19-7 record. Los Angeles is five games behind the OKC Thunder in first.

Edited by Sameer Khan