As a fantasy sports writer for the past 20 years, I’ve grown accustomed to ranking things. All things. Chicken wing restaurants; James Bond movies; siblings… It’s what I do!
With the 2022-23 NBA season officially upon us, I thought it would be a fun exercise to rank all the active players whose rookie cards I want (and thus you should want) the most.
Think of it as our very own Trade Value chart! Would you trade this player’s rookie cards for this other player’s rookie cards? No? Then the first player is ranked higher!
The first thing I want to make clear is that we’re not talking about specific rookie cards, since there are many variations, parallels, numbered versions, etc. This is about the base rookie cards of all active players, assuming all things are the same, including the pop report and current value. In other words, this is a subjective list — it looks both at history and potential.
Since this is a subjective list, there is plenty of room for debate; I want to hear whose rookie cards you would rather have than some of the players I mentioned!
Ranking the Top 15 Active NBA Players Whose Rookie Cards We Want
Remember, we’re not talking about any one specific rookie card, although, I am listing one of their most popular base rookie cards — that’s not an autographed/numbered card — along with a cheaper rookie card worth checking out. This is a list comparing player collectability, including their past play and future outlook. Prices listed are within the range of recent comps.
1. LeBron James — 2003
When the GOAT discussion comes up, it doesn’t matter which side you are on, between LeBron, Michael Jordan, or even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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