[cjgiannini]

I started branching out my collection recently after a few box hits gave me some inspiration and have picked up some autographs of players who played High School or College ball in the Bay Area. I'm also hunting 1 auto, 1 auto/relic, and 1 relic for every player from the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Dream Teams. This, in addition to my Warriors collection.

Bill Cartwright - Grew up in Northern California and played at USF


Christian Laettner - 1992 Dream Team


Jason Kidd - Grew up in SF/Alameda, played at California and on the 1996 Dream Team




Chris Mullin - Warriors PC and 1992 Dream Team


Matthew Dellavedova - Played at Saint Mary's


John Stockton - 1992 and 1996 Dream Team


More to come...

[cjgiannini]

Came home and had all these waiting for me in the mail:

The Collins Twins - Stanford



Dwight Powell - Stanford


Matthew Dellavadova - Saint Mary's

I'm a huge fan of the Cornerstone cards


Warriors PC

Tim Hardaway - another cornerstone card


Jordan Bell


Jacob Evans III


Kevon Looney


Al Attles

[cjgiannini]

Have had some more Cornerstone cards trickling in over the past week:

Ryan Anderson - #/129


Jordan Bell - #/75 and #/49



Aaron Gordon - played HS at Archbishop Mitty in San Jose; #/25


Grant Hill 1996 Dream Team; #/25


Damian Lillard - Grew up in Oakland/Alameda; #/25


Jeremy Lin - Grew up in Palo Alto (and played for Warriors too); #/129 and #/49

[rjcj2017]

Very nice stuff! I didn't know Dwight played for Stanford.

[cjgiannini]

Very nice stuff! I didn't know Dwight played for Stanford.

I didn't know that either! There were a few surprises when I was researching which players had played in the Bay Area collegiately. I had no memory of Ryan Anderson playing at Cal for instance. But I remember Allen Crabbe playing at Cal just a year or two after Ryan did.

On the other hand, Aaron Gordon was a pretty big deal as a high school player. Probably the most covered Bay Area prospect since Jason Kidd.

[rjcj2017]

I didn't know that either! There were a few surprises when I was researching which players had played in the Bay Area collegiately. I had no memory of Ryan Anderson playing at Cal for instance. But I remember Allen Crabbe playing at Cal just a year or two after Ryan did.

On the other hand, Aaron Gordon was a pretty big deal as a high school player. Probably the most covered Bay Area prospect since Jason Kidd.

Many moons ago as a sports journalist I covered a guy at Vallejo High School named Demarcus Nelson ... he then played four years at Duke and signed as a free agent with the Warriors for the 2008-09 season (i.e., the year before Steph got there).

He actually started Opening Night that season and has exactly one NBA card, a Rookie Standouts insert from that year's Upper Deck Lineage set.

Here's the link ...

https://bit.ly/2SQhao2

I don't know if your Bay collection extends east to Sacramento, LOL, but Kevin Johnson (Suns) and Michael "Yogi" Stewart (Kings) are from Sacto.

[cjgiannini]

Many moons ago as a sports journalist I covered a guy at Vallejo High School named Demarcus Nelson ... he then played four years at Duke and signed as a free agent with the Warriors for the 2008-09 season (i.e., the year before Steph got there).

He actually started Opening Night that season and has exactly one NBA card, a Rookie Standouts insert from that year's Upper Deck Lineage set.

Here's the link ...

https://bit.ly/2SQhao2

I don't know if your Bay collection extends east to Sacramento, LOL, but Kevin Johnson (Suns) and Michael "Yogi" Stewart (Kings) are from Sacto.

Not for High School players. Both went to Cal though, so I'd collect them for that. I don't have any Kevin Johnson's yet, and Beckett doesn't list any autograph cards existing for Stewart.

[rjcj2017]

Not for High School players. Both went to Cal though, so I'd collect them for that. I don't have any Kevin Johnson's yet, and Beckett doesn't list any autograph cards existing for Stewart.

I saw Yogi in a Toys R Us one time in Sacramento ... completely by luck I had a game night program with him on the cover in my trunk.

I ran out to the car, found the program and a random red sharpie and took it back in the store, and he signed it for me.

Quite possibly my most unlikely autograph success ever.

[cjgiannini]

Kurt Rambis Grew up in the South Bay and attended Santa Clara.


When I was a kid I always thought Rambis looked like such a nerd.

Aaron Gordon A second 17-18 Cornerstones, this time to #/129 for the Mitty of San Jose alum. Now I just need a #/75 and #/49 (a #/10 and a 1/1 would be nice too)

[cjgiannini]

Four of the five Allen Crabbe 18-19 Cornerstone Quad Auto cards. The only one I'm missing is the elusive Onyx 1/1.

L-to-R, T-to-B: Marble 1/10, Crystal 30/49, Quartz 11/25, Standard 024/129