Kevin Love is backing The Alley, a new premium trading card shop in Lake Oswego co-founded by his brother Collin Love, Samuel Soong, and Darick Dang. The store opened July 16, features a community lounge, pack bar, and breaking studio, and is a Topps Authorized Direct Partner.

The 1,500-square-foot space in downtown Lake Oswego is a full-service card shop with a retail floor stocked with high-graded sports cards, Pokémon cards, and sealed product. Its Topps Authorized Direct Partner status gives the store direct access to premium new-release product allocations.

Collin Love told Your Oregon News on opening day that the community response has been strong, with local collectors eager for a dedicated brick-and-mortar shop in the area.

From Lake Oswego to the NBA and Back

Kevin Love graduated from Lake Oswego High School in 2007 before playing one season at UCLA and entering the NBA draft, where he was selected fifth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and immediately traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now in his 18th NBA season, he has earned five All-Star selections, won the 2011 Most Improved Player award, and captured an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Earlier this year, Love's Lake Oswego High School jersey was retired, marking 20 years since the Lakers won the 2006 state championship. Now he and his brother are building something permanent in the town where they grew up.

"That's what we grew up on. Now we're all having kids, right? And people are having kids a little bit later in life now, and it's just like the generational thing of, 'Here's what I had; here's what I'm introducing to you, here's what connected with me as a child,'" Kevin Love said in the Your Oregon News interview.

What The Alley Offers

The store is designed for the modern collector. Beyond traditional retail, The Alley includes:

  • A pack bar where collectors can rip packs in a social setting
  • A breaking studio for content creators and group breaks
  • A community lounge designed as a gathering space for local collectors
  • Topps Direct Partner allocation, giving the shop access to premium new-release product
  • Graded singles across sports and Pokémon, sourced through the ownership team's industry connections

The store has signed a six-year lease and the co-owners intend to stay long-term. Collin Love noted that the space next door had been unoccupied for some time, making The Alley's arrival a small but meaningful win for downtown Lake Oswego's retail landscape.

An Athlete-Backed Retail Trend

Kevin Love joins a small but growing list of active and former NBA players investing in the card hobby at the retail level. Kevin Durant's Thirty Five Ventures has backed collectibles-related startups, and LeBron James' SpringHill Company has explored the space through media partnerships. But The Alley is different: it is a local, family-run card shop, not a corporate investment. Love's brother is a co-founder and operator; the shop sits in the neighborhood where both brothers grew up.

Kevin Love's favorite card in the store is reportedly a 1970s Baltimore Bullets card of his father Stan Love. "As you can see, it's a community. So you're part of something that's bigger than you, and I figured out that sports have taught me in a lot of ways. Like being part of something bigger than yourself is fun," Love said.

Sources: Your Oregon News (opening day coverage, Collin and Kevin Love interviews), KOIN 6 News (CBS Portland), Portland Business Journal. Kevin Love's personal history verified through NBA records and Lake Oswego High School.