In many ways, 2017 was a year that many basketball fans would come to love. For one, this was the time when notable stars, like Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, entered the NBA. Their arrival onto the scene gave their franchises a cornerstone to build on and new blood for the league to hype upon.
This is also the exact case for Bam Adebayo with the Miami Heat, De’Aaron Fox for the Sacramento Kings, and Kyle Kuzma for the Los Angeles Lakers, among others.
That sense of excitement would spill on over to the card market. Collectors from all walks of life would go on to chase these notable 2017 rookies and their respective cards. The same can also be said for the inserts from Panini’s wide line of products for this season. Shown below are the five insert designs that stood out from the crowd in that year.
5. Optic The Champ Is Here
First on our list is an insert from the 2017-18 Optic set – The Champ Is Here. The card’s premise is very simple with a player who has won the NBA championship during his career. Its no-nonsense design is complimented perfectly with a chrome-like finish, leading to a timeless look.
The Champ Is Here comes with a number of parallels, which includes the elusive Gold Vinyl 1/1 variant. There are 15 players in this set, including notable names like Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Kobe Bryant.
4. Crown Royale Mamba’s Choice
Speaking of the Black Mamba, Panini provided Bryant with an insert of his own in the 2017-18 Crown Royale set. The card sports a triangular die-cut design with Bryant in the background and a star front and center.
The Mamba’s Choice features 10 of the NBA’s best players during the 2017-18 season, like LeBron James and Steph Curry. Each card is serial-numbered to 99, making their print run limited. There are also more valuable parallels available of this set, like red, blue, green, and black.
3. Select With Authority
There’s nothing more mesmerizing than seeing your favorite player going strongly for the jam. As the name suggests, Select’s With Authority showcases these captivating moments and translates them into card form. Its chrome finish tops off the look and transforms it into a stunner.
The With Authority set features some of the best dunkers in NBA history. Notable names include Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, and Blake Griffin, to name a few. It also comes in silver, gold /10, and black 1/1 parallel variants.
2. Cornerstones Downtown
2017’s edition of Downtown incorporates Panini’s Cornerstones logo in its design. As always, the classic insert features an NBA star being surrounded by famous landmarks for the city he’s playing for. The design blends both timelessness and artistry into a look that will surely capture interest in the market.
The Downtown insert features 20 of the most famous stars and rookies from the 2017-18 season. Some names include Lonzo Ball, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Russell Westbrook, among others. It also has a short print run with an average of one per case.
1. Court Kings Aurora
Last on our list is the Aurora from Panini’s 2017 Court Kings. The card design focuses on the star player and sets him in the middle of a color explosion in the background.
Like the previous entry, the Court Kings Aurora set features 20 players. The notable names to chase here are LeBron James in his jersey for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jayson Tatum’s rookie year with the Boston Celtics. It’s also a short-print insert with an Aurora card averaging one for each case.
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