It has been months now since the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned as NBA champions. Since that time, fans have been eagerly waiting for new card products to come out, most notable of which are those that feature rookie players from this season. At last, that long wait is over. Panini has just released its much-anticipated 2020-21 NBA Hoops set last month, much to the delight of card fans all over the world.
The first product from this line to hit the market is a hobby box, which contains 24 eight-card packs in it, including two autograph cards. Other box configurations are also available, including a retail box. It contains the same number of cards, minus the hobby-exclusive inserts, and only has one auto.
Panini’s 2020 NBA Hoops set comes with a 270-base card set, which features a number colored and numbered parallels. It has multiple autograph card formats, including the Rookie Ink and Hot Signature Rookies sets, which fans can chase. Furthermore, most inserts in this product look fresh and exciting. Take a look down below as we delve further into what’s new with this product and its first impressions on card enthusiasts.
How the cards look
NBA Hoops has always focused on a simple and no-nonsense design ever since its inception during the 1989-90 season. Panini’s 2020 set is more of the same, thanks to an oval shape and clean look that highlights the player front and center.
The card itself doesn’t possess a chrome-like finish found on Panini’s high-end offerings. Instead, the cards have a glossy feel that works well with how they actually look in person.
Panini has included a number of parallels into both hobby and retail boxes. These include Purple, Neon Green, Red Backs, and Winter, to name a few. There are also numbered cards, like Hyper Green, and Artist Proof, among others. Fans can chase these short-print cards if the base design doesn’t quite cut it.
Insert designs are off the hook
Inserts from NBA Hoops have always focused on a fun and catchy look to entice consumers. This year’s offerings from Panini are no different.
Those interested in getting a hobby box have a chance of pulling exclusive inserts, like City Edition, Prime Twine, High Voltage, and HIPnotized. Buyers can also pull amazing new inserts from retail boxes. These include Slam, Now Arriving, Class of 2020, and Jersey Swap, among others.
These 2020 NBA Hoops Slam magazine insert cards are amazing. My favorite magazine subscription from my youth pic.twitter.com/0bpKU4z0He
— Jay (@jasonparadise) February 9, 2021
From the looks of it, a lot of card enthusiasts have been swooning over retail inserts more than their hobby-exclusive counterparts. A huge reason for this development is the inclusion of trendy insert designs in this year’s NBA Hoops set. Most notable among fans is the Slam card, which features a magazine cover of the same name.
Team rosters haven’t been updated yet
When opening a pack of Panini’s latest NBA Hoops, don’t be surprised to see some players playing for their previous teams. Some notable examples include Christian Wood, Chris Paul, Marc Gasol, and Jrue Holiday, among others. Card fans and box break enthusiasts would do well to remember this detail to avoid confusion when opening this product.
The reason for this missing update is that when the design of these cards was finalized, the updated rosters of each team from the offseason weren’t confirmed yet. This will be rectified in Panini’s later releases this year, like Prizm and Optic.
Top rookies are commanding high prices
Thanks to the hype surrounding this year’s top rookies, the prices that come along with their NBA Hoops cards are going way, way up in the market. Rightfully so, because these cards the first publicly-available offerings that feature them in an NBA jersey.
Just take a look at LaMelo Ball’s NBA Hoops base rookie card, which has been selling for around $60. The parallels of this card also command a high rate. One notable example is Ball’s Gold Artist Proof /10, which sold for $2,500 on eBay last week.
Of course, it remains to be seen if these rookie cards can maintain this high value as the season progresses. On one hand, they can go down in price once Panini releases their other products this year. On the other, LaMelo’s Ball’s card stock may even go higher if becomes a bonafide star in his rookie season.
As always, it’s best to check market prices on the latest NBA Hoops cards and compare them with how your target player is performing on the court. In this way, you’ll get maximum value for your investment in these new cards from Panini.
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