Beckett Sports Card Hot / Cold – June 2, 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.
Two consecutive NBA MVP trophies and being runner-up this year wasn’t enough to vault Nikola Jokic to the front of the basketball card spotlight. Now a trip to the Finals has. Sure, his cards have gained in popularity and value over the last couple of years, but Jokic has been lurking in the hobby shadows behind the likes of LeBron. Giannis and the rookie flavor of the week. Respected and even loved? Sure. Basketball card hero? Not so much.
Right behind Jokic is the most hyped prospect since Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama. It’s still almost three weeks before the San Antonio Spurs make the obvious official and take him with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. However, unlike past years, collectors have a growing number of collecting options ahead of Wembanyama joining the NBA ranks. First, there was the Sports Illustrated for Kids card. Being the first thing readily available, it took off. But now with Topps doing prospect-driven Bowman basketball releases, the number of choices is expanding somewhat quickly. 2022-23 Bowman Inception University, a basketball/football hybrid set, has an autograph redemption. So does the just-released 2022-23 Bowman Chrome University Basketball. Wemby also has a base card in Bowman Chrome, although it’s a short print. By this time next year, collectors will have a lot more options for Wembanyama cards. At the moment, though, these are definitely filling a void.
