NBA Cards: The Most Expensive Ones to be Trade-Off

The sports cards industry, undoubtedly, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent collectibles boom, with some being sold for millions of dollars in the last 18 months. The value of these NBA cards has jumped from 30% to 1,000% in recent times, showing no signs of slowing down. It’s clear that trading and collecting these NBA cards has never been such a hot property. The NBA trading cards industry is booming and still growing with the most expensive basketball cards ever sold in a market and we’re sure there will be new record sales soon. Below listed are the most expensive NBA Cards of all time. An imaginative approach to NBA card designs has led to a commotion of interest among collectors and is set to continue its expansion according to projections. With that said, below is the list of the most expensive NBA cards for now:

1. Stephen Curry $5.9 million

Stephen Curry adds to the most expensive basketball card ever sold in his honors. After totaling 28.6 points per game in his junior year, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 NBA draft. A seven-time All-Star, three-time scoring champion, two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), and three-time NBA champion, Curry is one of the most coveted sets of all time, with its Logoman rookie card leading the way. The NBA card sold for $5.9 million in July 2021, making it the second most valuable basketball card ever.

2. LeBron James $5.2 million

The NBA card collection of LeBron James Rookie Patch autograph was auctioned by an anonymous buyer in 2021. A 17-time All-Star, four-time Most Valuable Player, four-time NBA champion, and recently earned his place on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, he will be a true icon in the history of basketball. The NBA card price was $5.2 million for what was then the world record price for a modern sports card. It has been one of the most sought-after NBA trading cards for years to come. 

3. Luka Dončić Logoman $4.6 million

Contemplating the fast pace of the basketball card market, Dončić’s 2018-19 Autographed Panini National Treasures rookie card was sold for $4.6 million. It sets the record for the most valuable and the most expensive basketball card ever sold. Dončić established himself in basketball with an average of 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in his rookie season awarding him the Rookie of the Year 2018-19.

4. Michael Jordan $2.7 million

Michael Jordan, the most adorned and influential basketball player has a league history with a record of 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in just 26 minutes of play, and he became the first player to record a triple-double at the NBA All-Star Game. The Goldin Auctions used Jersey #GJ13S from the 1997 Upper Deck Game. The Jersey Autographs series was limited to 23 cards and features a sample of the jersey Jordan wore in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game all at $2.7 million.

5. Kobe Bryant $2 million

The late Kobe Bryant was one of the most iconic basketball players of all time. Kobe played an entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, capturing every crucial award including an 18-time All-Star, five-time NBA champion, and lately named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. This NBA trading card has a 295 BGS (Beckett Grading) population with a 10 Black Label, exhilarating an epitome of greatness. 

6. Giannis Antetokounmpo $1.8 million

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the youngest NBA players in NBA history at the age of just 18 years. Antetokounmpo’s 2013-14 Panini National Treasures Logoman rookie card is limited and was auctioned at $1.8 million with a BGS 9 for the card’s condition. The Horizontal Rookie Patch Auto (RPA) with Antetokounmpo’s autograph and BGS 10 prevails as his most expensive card in the history of NBA trading cards. 

7. Anthony Davis $1 million

Anthony Davis’s 2012-13 Panini National Treasures autographed card which includes an NBA Logoman patch from a jersey he wore in-game action was sold for $1 million, making it the most expensive NBA card ever. Nicknamed The Brow and regarded as one of the significant power forwards, Davis is an eight-time NBA All-Star who has been named to four All-NBA First Teams, four NBA All-Defensive Teams, and in 2021 was listed to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

The Future

According to the Sports Trading Card Market Research Report 2023, the global Sports NBA Trading Card market cap is estimated to reach $ 2517 million by 2027. The prospect of these top 100 to 500 NBA basketball cards has beat the S&P 500 stock market index by an impressive 153% over the past decade. This growth looks set to continue with the new licensing deal in 2023 that will witness exciting innovation from Panini and Upper Deck that has driven up NBA card price and interest collectively. Brace yourself, but the best may be yet to come.