After 16 years, a number of teams, and some badly timed injuries, Chris Paul is finally in the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. With a talented Phoenix Suns squad at his back, Paul has a chance to cement his legacy before he eventually retires from the league.

The Point God's compelling narrative, along with the Suns’ impressive leap from bottom-dwellers to a potential championship team, has caught the attention of collectors. We take a look below at how Chris Paul rookie cards are doing as Phoenix is three games away from its first title.

The Reason Why Chris Paul Cards Are Going Up

There have been some instances when Chris Paul was so close to reaching the NBA Finals and becoming a champion. As seen during his stints with the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets, the All-Star was always at the cusp of success, only to be held back at the last minute by injuries or unfortunate circumstances.

Suns, Chris Paul

Clearly, this isn’t what’s happening now with Paul and the Suns. After revitalizing his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, Phoenix acquired CP3 to provide veteran leadership to a young and talented team. Right off the bat, he showed the world he still had it by averaging 16.4 points and 8.9 assists on 49.9% shooting from the field, 39.5% shooting from deep, and a league-leading 93.4% from the foul line.

Thanks to Paul’s resurgence in The Valley, along with a lot of young talent on the roster, the Suns finished the regular season as the second seed in an overloaded Western Conference. As expected, CP3 continued playing well in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers, eliminating them in the process.

All of Paul’s efforts in this year’s playoffs finally paid off as the Suns advanced to face Milwaukee for the championship. Just as many expected, he came out with guns blazing in his first appearance in the NBA Finals. Paul dominated the Bucks in Game 1 by posting 32 points and nine assists in 37 minutes. With just three games standing between him and his first ring, basketball fans can expect Paul to leave everything on the court in the coming games.

The State Of Chris Paul Rookie Cards

Thanks to his impressive run to the Finals, Chris Paul’s card stock has flown up from where it was months ago. PSA 10 prices of his base Topps rookie card, for example, have gone up from $421 last May to $700 this week. 

Along with this base rookie card, Paul’s more valuable offering, his 2005 Topps Chrome, is also trending up in a big way. Last April, the PSA 10 value of this particular card was around $1,033. With Paul balling his way to the Finals, that price is now at $1,700.

As the numbers show, Chris Paul cards are indeed on the rise. With the odds in Phoenix’s favor, the chances of the All-Star point winning his first ring have gone stronger. If that happens and he gets that first title, Paul’s card value will certainly skyrocket faster than anyone could anticipate.