Pete Maravich has just 53 game-used memorabilia cards and none since 2009-10. Panini America announced Monday that it will be making more mem cards of the legend in its future products.

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By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

“Pistol Pete” will be a hit once again.

Panini America will be creating its first game-used memorabilia cards for former LSU and Atlanta Hawks star Pete Maravich in NBA brands coming later this year, the company announced on Monday.

“We have obtained a Pete Maravich jersey that will be appearing in product,” said brand manager Keith Hower in a company box break video released Monday. “We’ve got to plan it out and schedule where it’s going to appear, but Pete Maravich memorabilia is coming to Panini basketball.”

Maravich, known for his eccentric style of play and floppy socks, still holds the NCAA scoring record with an average of 44.2 points a game for his entire three-year LSU career along with other marks. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987 and named to the NBA at 50 team in 1996.

Maravich, who appears on just 410 cards valued at more than $11,000 (click here for a checklist and Online Price Guide), previously appeared on 53 different game-used cards made through the years. He had 30 game-used cards released by Upper Deck, 19 by Topps and three from Fleer.

The first game-used card for Maravich was a 2001-02 Upper Deck Legends Legendary Floor card, which typically sells for $60 or less. His most-recent cards were in 2009-10 products from Topps and Upper Deck. Of all Maravich memorabilia cards that have announced print runs, none have more than 199 serial-numbered copies. (Click here to see how Maravich is selling on eBay.)

Maravich’s true rarity in the hobby is his certified autograph as he died unexpectedly at age 40 in 1988. He has just 15 certified autographs — all cuts — with six of those being 1/1 cards.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

A California-based company started by a pair of former card company employees has entered the world of artwork.

NBA-licensed artwork that is.

RareInk.com and the NBA announced a partnership on Tuesday to bring fully licensed pieces to collectors featuring the work of several acclaimed artists.The collection will launch with 100 pieces of 40 players and 60 team logos. Collectors will be able to vote on what they want to see next.

“The goal of RareInk’s artwork is to capture the excitement and action of the NBA in a uniquely artistic way,” said Tim Muret, CEO of RareInk.  “Fans can shape the future of the RareInk collection by voting for their favorite players and moments to be featured as art pieces.”

Each piece is offered as a print ($69 and $109) or a stretched canvas ($109 and $199) with every one numbered to 250 or fewer copies.

Some of the pieces, with styles varying by artist, include Lakers tributes featuring Jerry West, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson while others include, the Boston Celtics, the Dallas Mavericks and John Stockton and Karl Malone. Other names featured will include Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to name a few.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

The newest edition of Exquisite Collection has arrived but there’s a past card from the high-end line that’s getting plenty of attention right now on the auction block.

With nearly a week to go, a 2009-10 Exquisite Collection All-NBA Access Dual Logos Autographs card of Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird is on eBay and already generating big bucks (presuming the bids are legit).

How much is it so far? Click here to find out … and then tell us what you think with the poll below or in the comments.

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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

The greats of the game are coming.

When 2012-13 Panini Threads arrives from Panini America on Oct. 24,  it won’t just include the latest in the double-crop of NBA rookies, autographs and today’s superstars.

It also will include legends — some of the greatest players in the last 60-plus seasons of the league.

Here’s a look at the 25 Century Greats insert cards to be found in the product … after the jump.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor

Secondary players often get lost on a team full of stars, but occasionally one breaks through to let fans know there is more to a basketball team than just the usual five.

Second-year player Avery Bradley recently made his presence known on the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-2 guard finished the regular season hot for the Celtics and has played well during the first round of the playoffs.

One of the big beneficiaries of Bradley’s recent performances are his collectors. With the elevation of his game, his basketball cards are also seemingly on the rise.

His most popular – and hardest to attain – card is the 2011-11 Playoff National Treasures autographed/jersey card numbered to 99. The high book value in Beckett is $200 with the value increasing as recently as April. (Need an Avery Bradley OPG or checklist? Click here.)

But the last couple of eBay sales have been around $250, even a $500 sale for the card on April 19.

This was a card that sold for about $70 in March and last year was going for $50 or less.

What changed for Bradley?

With the few times Rajon Rondo has been out of the lineup for the Celtics, Bradley has taken over at point with positive results.

However, Bradley also went on a scoring run in the last part of the season. In the final 19 games, he averaged 15.1 points. And during a three-game stretch in late April, he hit 10 3-pointers, including 5-of-6 against the New York Knicks on April 17.

Bradley’s cards have really gotten hot and with a deep run in the NBA playoffs, his cards could only rise in value.

For those still looking to grab a rookie auto of Bradley, there are cheaper autographs available.

Autographs such as 2010-11 Absolute Memorabilia autographed/jersey card numbered to 499 or 2010-11 Playoff Contenders Patches are going in the $10 to $20 range.

Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.

By Chris Olds | Basketball Editor | Commentary

“Excellence is not a singular act, it’s a habit.”

In one of his many memorable interviews, Shaquille O’Neal became “The Big Aristotle” with that singular quote.

And after 19 years of playing in the NBA, it was a singular video sent to the masses via Twitter on Wednesday that said his Hall of Fame career (first-ballot lock) had come to an end.

Unlike few athletes in our time, Shaq truly arrived upon the scene in 1992 breaking backboards and perhaps ushering in a new era of basketball cards where The Brand was just that from Day 1. Sure, Air Jordans took some time to inflate — and Brand LeBron has come since — but there’s only one Shaq.

His career can be recapped with a few stats — but there’s no doubt that his excellence was a habit for most of his career. You don’t win four NBA titles, make 15 All-Star teams and score more than 28,000 points by just being big and tall. And you don’t score yourself a spot in countless card collections by just putting up points, either.

You do it by being accessible to fans via Twitter, not by having an inaccessible air of success. You do it by being a fool online (see the video on the playlist after his retirement clip). You do it in countless memorable interviews. You do it in other ways. You do all that and then you produce on the court, too.

But, most importantly, you do it by being yourself — not just a brand.

That’s not to say that every card a collector owns is absolutely treasured. Shaq arrived right in the heart of an era of mass-produced cardboard treasures that somehow lost that “treasures” part over time. Even still, if you wanted to own every one of Shaq’s cards that are priced on Beckett.com, it’d cost you $104,265.67 right now.

Shaq appears on just 5,557 different cards — it seems like it should be way higher — beginning with his Classic cards in 1992 and ending with his NBA releases still coming from Panini America today. He appears on just 411 different autographed cards — a low number — and 1,719 memorabilia cards as his career comes to a close. Despite his countless college cards from his once-exclusive deal, only 11 cards from 1992-93 are classified as Rookie Cards. Again, that’s an attainable and affordable group to collect — unlike many of today’s biggest-name rookies who might not have much success to show for it yet.

For me, the arrival of a player like Shaq meant buying a bit more cards — and of course Topps returned to the NBA fold as a card manufacturer that year with its Topps Gold inserts (above) and later its Stadium Club Beam Team inserts driving the hobby — no “When Doves Cry” singing included. (Seriously, go watch that video after his retirement clip…) I still have some of them, though many have moved on through the years. Oddly, I don’t own a single Shaq autograph.

There’s no secret that the NBA has had its share of image problems — and it has the dark shadow of labor issues looming — but even in his worst days Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t one of them. He’s a character who has performed on the court in ways that place him among the greatest in the game — but that isn’t the only way that he defined his greatness.

He’s a character who won’t be forgotten easily.

What’s your favorite Shaq moment or piece of Shaq memorabilia? We want to hear about it …

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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.