Beckett Sports Card Hot / Cold – June 16, 2023
Welcome to another Beckett Sports Card Hot/Cold where we take a quick and fun look at what’s hot and what’s not in the worlds of sports and sports cards.
This week’s list is a tale of two hobby takes. On the one hand, you have a once unheralded player who has finally gained some much-deserved top-level hobby recognition.
Nearby is a prospect who hasn’t stepped on an NBA court but is already being hyped as a generational talent. It’s a similar story at the top of the Cold side as collectors finally seem to be growing impatient with another recent “generational talent.”
Nikola Jokic leads the way this week following the Denver Nuggets’ dominant road to their first NBA Championship. Already a two-time MVP, it’s no secret that Jokic is one of the best players in basketball. But he hasn’t drawn that same level of attention until now. Like any star coming off of a title win, there’s going to be a spike in the immediate wake. But don’t be surprised if Jokic levels off in a stronger place. He’s cemented his place in the hobby’s top tier.
Victor Wembanyama continues to drive attention to 2022-23 Bowman Chrome University Basketball and 2022-23 Bowman Inception University. It’s a near certainty that he’ll be joining the San Antonio Spurs who hold the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. It’ll be a bit before Wembanyama has NBA cards so these will fill a void until then.
The NHL season also wrapped up this week with the Vegas Golden Knights hoisting the Stanley Cup. The team doesn’t have any true superstars but Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone are two players seeing a jump.