South Florida Collector Justin Ruiz Wins 2024–25 PANINI NBA Player of the Day National Sweepstakes
What started as a routine trip to his local hobby shop turned into a once-in-a-lifetime memory for 17-year-old collector Justin Ruiz of Miami Lakes, Florida who was named the 2024–25 Panini NBA Player of the Day National Sweepstakes Grand Prize Winner.
Miami Heat rising star Nikola Jović joins Justin, his father Carlos, their friends, family, and fellow collectors at AA Mint Cards in Cooper City, FL for Grand Prize Celebration on September 25
Originally posted on PaniniAmerica.net
IRVING, TEXAS, SEPT 29 2025 — What started as a routine trip to his local hobby shop turned into a once-in-a-lifetime memory for 17-year-old collector Justin Ruiz of Miami Lakes, Florida who was named the 2024–25 Panini NBA Player of the Day National Sweepstakes Grand Prize Winner.
Selected from more than 100,000 participants across 600+ card shops nationwide, Justin’s winning entry earned him a VIP celebration on September 25, with Miami Heat forward Nikola Jović at AA Mint Cards in Cooper City, Florida the same store where he pulled his lucky pack earlier this summer.
At the exclusive Grand Prize Party, Jović spent the evening with 50 guests, comprised of Justin’s friends, family and many of the best customers of AA Mint Cards. The young star took time to answer questions, sign autographs and posed for photos with all the guests. He ended the night hosting box breaks of Panini Prizm Fast Break. Justin’s father Carlos drove a dozen classmates in his sprinter van for the hourlong ride for the unforgettable experience.
To break the news to Justin and Carlos earlier this month, Panini and shop owner Mark Amarant staged a playful misdirect, first presenting the Ruiz family with Steph Curry and Trae Young autographed cards as if they had only won a “first prize.” Moments later, Amarant revealed the truth—that they were in fact the Panin NBA Player of the Day Grand Prize winners.
To begin the party, Panini presented Justin with several boxes of premium Panini NBA products to open alongside Jovic, including National Treasures, Silhouette, One and One, and Noir. Some of the marquee hits from the boxes were a 24-25 National Treasures Chet Holmgren Auto /25, 24-25 One and One Dalton Knecht RPA /25, and 24-25 Silhouette Amare Stoudemire Holiday Laundry Tag 2/2.
Justin, a junior at Westminster Christian School and member of the varsity basketball team, is a devoted Heat fan though his favorite players to collect are Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He has been collecting with his father for five years, building on Carlos’s lifelong passion that dates to 1979 and has grown into a two-million-card collection. Justin also runs his own online breaks under the handle @RuizCollectables.
“Collectors like Justin, who learn their love of the hobby across generations, are at the heart of what makes our community so special,” said Jason Howarth, vice president of marketing for Panini. “The Player of the Day Grand Prize is designed to bring fans closer to the game, their favorite athletes, and the thrill of opening packs.”
Since debuting in 2016, the Panini NBA Player of the Day promotion has connected thousands of collectors with their favorite stars, following the success of its football counterpart that launched in 2001. Previous NBA grand prize winners have enjoyed experiences with Karl-Anthony Towns, Shaquille O’Neal, RJ Barrett, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Larry Johnson, Matisse Thybulle, Aaron Holiday, Sam Perkins, and Matas Buzelis.
The promotion centers on a poster featuring Panini cards of one player from each NBA team. Each day a different “Player of the Day” is spotlighted, and collectors who pull that player from a pack win prizes at their local shop. Daily winners are entered into weekly and monthly drawings, with store champions advancing to the national sweepstakes.
For more information, visit www.PaniniPOD.com.
