[rjcj2017]

Friends in basketball,

It had been exactly 352 days since I last busted an NBA retail product, when I randomly found one blaster of Optic last year and pulled the RCs of Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

All throughout the rest of 2020 and the start of 2021, I missed out on Mosaic, Chronicles, Illusions, Hoops Premium ... not even sure what else, because the sharks devoured every single pack ... for. 12. freaking. months.

As primarily a basketball fan and collector, it has outright sucked. But I can proudly say I never gave into temptation and bought any marked up BS, either online or from hobby shops.

Yes, it was difficult, but that all changed today.

I was in the Target on the other side of town and was just about to leave when the card distributor lady randomly walked by.

This was not her regular day, and thus no line of loser sharks.

I asked her if she was stocking cards today and she said yep, just had to grab them out of the back.

I couldn’t believe it. I was the only one there.

A few minutes later, she came out with the cart, and I asked her if she had NBA Hoops.

Yep!

Now, of course, even this story that is about to get really good isn’t completely dooshery free ... there were large slashes in the tops of the big cardboard boxes ... an employee had done an inside job and already cleared out the mega boxes and the blasters.

But ... she had a box of jumbos, and under the new store policy (!!!) I was allowed to grab a total of three of them once she placed them on the peg.

Since I’m not a doosh pack searcher I grabbed the first three off the rack, paid for them and busted them in the car.

Pack 1 - LeBron base ... I was just so happy to bust NBA cards again I was thrilled with this. Very cool photo.

Pack 2 - Could this be happening? TYRESE HALIBURTON ROOKIE CARD! The one I wanted!

Already over the moon ... but the last card in the pack (I never look at the back when I open packs) ...

LAMELO BALL RC!

The best card in the set and current Rookie of the Year favorite!





Pack 3 - Don’t even really remember, still stunned and shocked at how great Pack 2 was.

Pretty freak chance of randomly seeing the card lady there ... would have missed her if it was five seconds either way.

Later tonight I checked back and everything she put out was already gone.

Crazy lightning in a bottle break for sure!

[cjgiannini]

Congrats on getting your cards!

[rjcj2017]

Congrats on getting your cards!

Thanks my man.

352. Freaking. Days.

[RattPoison2]

Friends in basketball,

It had been exactly 352 days since I last busted an NBA retail product, when I randomly found one blaster of Optic last year and pulled the RCs of Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

All throughout the rest of 2020 and the start of 2021, I missed out on Mosaic, Chronicles, Illusions, Hoops Premium ... not even sure what else, because the sharks devoured every single pack ... for. 12. freaking. months.

As primarily a basketball fan and collector, it has outright sucked. But I can proudly say I never gave into temptation and bought any marked up BS, either online or from hobby shops.

Yes, it was difficult, but that all changed today.

I was in the Target on the other side of town and was just about to leave when the card distributor lady randomly walked by.

This was not her regular day, and thus no line of loser sharks.

I asked her if she was stocking cards today and she said yep, just had to grab them out of the back.

I couldn’t believe it. I was the only one there.

A few minutes later, she came out with the cart, and I asked her if she had NBA Hoops.

Yep!

Now, of course, even this story that is about to get really good isn’t completely dooshery free ... there were large slashes in the tops of the big cardboard boxes ... an employee had done an inside job and already cleared out the mega boxes and the blasters.

But ... she had a box of jumbos, and under the new store policy (!!!) I was allowed to grab a total of three of them once she placed them on the peg.

Since I’m not a doosh pack searcher I grabbed the first three off the rack, paid for them and busted them in the car.

Pack 1 - LeBron base ... I was just so happy to bust NBA cards again I was thrilled with this. Very cool photo.

Pack 2 - Could this be happening? TYRESE HALIBURTON ROOKIE CARD! The one I wanted!

Already over the moon ... but the last card in the pack (I never look at the back when I open packs) ...

LAMELO BALL RC!

The best card in the set and current Rookie of the Year favorite!

Pack 3 - Don’t even really remember, still stunned and shocked at how great Pack 2 was.

Pretty freak chance of randomly seeing the card lady there ... would have missed her if it was five seconds either way.

Later tonight I checked back and everything she put out was already gone.

Crazy lightning in a bottle break for sure!

[rjcj2017]

Thank you for highlighting my post, but I don't see a comment?

[rjcj2017]

Scan of Ball and Haliburton added to original post.

[CMCFan22]

Did you pull any Tre Jones?

[rjcj2017]

Did you pull any Tre Jones?

I did, but I'm keeping all the RCs because, as I mentioned, it took me 352 days to find any NBA product whatsoever.

And, it was 352 days in between finding exactly one 2019-20 Optic blaster and three 2020-21 Hoops jumbo packs, so the stuff is beyond hard to find out here.

The one card I would trade any of the other rookies I pulled (besides Ball and Haliburton) for is James Wiseman for my Warriors PC, although I don't think the BVs match up very well there.

But if you have Wiseman I will trade the Jones for it (and kick in something else).

Lemme know, thanks!