Widely known as basketball’s most complete library, the NBA Hall of Fame effectively promotes and preserves the sport’s illustrious history uniquely.
Acquiring basketball card collectibles for players who have the potential to be inducted into this prestigious national conservatory is a wise move.
Trending: Best 2023 Panini NBA Hoops Basketball Cards
In this article, we’ll cast a forward-thinking eye toward the future by revealing some of the NBA cards that hobby collectors can pick up for under $100 and potentially ride the Hall of Fame wave to the bank should the stars align.
Let’s get right down to business.
1. 2019 Stephen Curry NBA Hoops Premium Stock Pulsar Prizm #59
The first card to look at has to be the 2019 Stephen Curry NBA Hoops Pulsar Prizm #59, which recently sold for $53 on eBay.
It pays homage to an excellent scoring season from the Golden State Warriors point guard, where Curry was a key contributor towards a new team three-point field goal record.
To begin with, the front of the card has a limited edition feel, best exemplified by the silver borders featuring a chequered pattern that ultimately makes for a shiny outer design.
More so, the picture of Curry is quite fitting as it shows the Golden State Warriors point guard preparing to make a side-step maneuver before launching the ball toward the basket from beyond the three-point line.
Meanwhile, the reverse design is clean yet elaborate. For starters, it showcases the NBA logo in the top left corner, with various Panini and NBA copyrights at the bottom.
Additionally, there’s a brief snippet of text that aptly describes Curry’s shooting prowess on the court, together with a small horizontal table layout of his NBA performance statistics (e.g., games played, points per game, and rebounds per game) from the 2014-2015 season up to the 2018-2019 campaign.
2. 2018 Luka Doncic Donruss Rated RC #177
Over the years, Luka Doncic has proven several of his critics wrong.
Coming to the NBA from the international scene was a mighty step up, and many pundits doubted his capability to thrive in basketball’s most competitive league.
Playing as a power forward for the Dallas Mavericks, he’s cemented himself as a top player who hasn’t had trouble taking over the scoring reins from the now-retired Dirk Nowitzki.
Luka Doncic rookie cards like this one – which recently sold for $89 – are a prized possession because they capture the hype surrounding a young Slovenian who quickly adjusted to the physical and mental demands of the NBA.
Although the Donruss #177 Luka Doncic rookie card doesn’t particularly stand out with its white-bordered appearance and dark grey background, it captures the essence of his court play by showing his left-handed ball control.
His unusual handedness has always been a unique talking point for commentators throughout his time in the NBA, because despite using his right hand for everyday tasks, his left hand is the dominant one on the court, which adds to his dynamism as a player.
The flip side of this card showcases Doncic’s talent by listing his international career totals, accompanied by a heart-warming description that recounts his career ascension to the NBA.
3. 2019 LeBron James Panini Silver Prizm #129
Only a select few players can rival the legacy that LeBron James has left in the NBA.
He’s had a sensational playing career, capped off by becoming the all-time leading points scorer in the NBA competition history with 38,388 points, surpassing the previous mark of 38,387 set by Kareem Abdul Jabbar in 1989.
With a recent sale price of $66, this card shows LeBron James in the thick of basketball action for the Los Angeles Lakers in what was only his second season playing for the popular franchise.
It certainly gives off a premium feel as Panini incorporated a thoughtful combination of black, dark grey, and purple colors, which blend well with James’ bright yellow Los Angeles Lakers jersey and shorts.
On the other hand, the rear end of this card has the usual Panini and NBA copyright notices printed below a table of performance statistics, which cover LeBron’s numbers from the concluded 2018-2019 campaign.
Beyond that, Panini has decided to educate the card owner by detailing how James managed his 15th straight season averaging at least 25 points and a steal, thereby extending an NBA record that may stand the test of time.
4. 2016 Giannis Antetokounmpo Panini Silver Prizm #13
This #13 Panini Silver Prism card – currently going for $82 – pays tribute to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s breakout season in 2016-2017 for the Milwaukee Bucks. He became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 for total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
The front side has black borders coupled with shiny elements of green and white that really bring the collector’s item to life. It pictures a young Giannis grasping onto the ball with his left hand as he scans the court in front of him, perhaps attempting to detect a teammate in open space who could make an attacking foray into opposition territory.
Conversely, the reverse design neatly lists his biographical data (i.e., weight, height, date of birth) and presents his 2015-2016 campaign performance figures. Above the statistics, the card emphasizes Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potency as a forward, highlighting the player’s five triple-doubles during the season.
Panini has also nicely incorporated the Milwaukee Bucks team logo onto the left of the card’s back end, as it ties in with the camera shot of the player on the right side.
5. 2017 Jayson Tatum Panini Donruss Optic The Rookies #3
Lastly, we have Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum’s 2017-2018 rookie card, which currently fetches $63.
From a graphical perspective, its front-sided design is nothing short of fabulous. Instead of embedding a real-life photo of Jayson in action, it features a life-like artistic illustration of the player in a predominantly green Boston Celtics kit, holding a Spalding-branded basketball with both hands.
The back end of this one doesn’t include any of Jayson’s performance statistics, instead choosing to focus on the remarkable story of how a young Tatum finished with the top record in the Eastern Conference, which helped secure his move to the Boston Celtics in the 2017 NBA draft.