Fred VanVleet is no stranger to making his mark in the NBA. Before the season began, the 6’1” inch guard from the Toronto Raptors bagged a four-year, $85 million contract, making him the highest-paid undrafted player in the history of the league.
This development wasn’t really a surprise to everyone following VanVleet’s career. Ever since he entered the league during the 206-17 season, he has been steadily improving his game over the years. Year after year, VanVleet has improved every aspect of his game, foremost of which is his shot creation and playmaking abilities.
Fred VanVleet’s card value before his historic night
The start of the 2020-21 season proved to be detrimental to VanVleet’s stock in the card market. The Raptors endured a string of losses that pulled them down to a 2-8 record during the first two weeks of the year. The departure of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka proved to be disastrous for Toronto’s defense, leading them to lose consecutive games.
The Raptors’ woes led his value to plummet at the start of this year. Since he entered the league as an undrafted rookie, VanVleet didn’t receive a proper “rookie” card until two seasons after. Just last January 09, 2021, his 2018-19 Prizm, which is considered to be the guard’s first base card in the market, was sold for $11.4.
While the Raptors have been struggling to find their groove, VanVleet’s fortunes in the card market have taken a huge turn recently.
Fred VanVleet makes history
Last February 2, 2021, the Toronto Raptors faced the Orlando Magic with the former coming out on top. This victory came on the back of VanVleet, who scored 54 points that night. This makes him the undrafted player to score the most points in a single game, surpassing Moses Malone’s previous record of 53 points.
During the same game, VanVleet also made his mark on Toronto's history books by overcoming DeMar DeRozan’s 52-point record. This makes him the Raptor with the highest single-game scoring output in franchise history.
VanVleet was on fire the entire game against Orlando. The Raptors’ guard drained 17 out of 23 field goals, 11 of which came from beyond the perimeter. VanVleet was also perfect from the charity stripe by connecting all of his nine free-throw attempts. He also contributed three rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three blocks in 37 minutes on the court.
His performance beyond the arc also merits attention. VanVleet made 11 three-pointers out of 14 in that game, achieving an insane 78.6% rating from the perimeter. He even threatened the overall threes-pointers made record, with all 11 threes coming before the fourth quarter. This feat is currently the most this season, and one shy away from Donyell Marshall’s franchise record of 12.
Taking all of these stats into account and you’ll discover another record achieved by VanVleet. His historic game against the Magic has made him into the only player in NBA history to score more than 50 points and drain more than 10 three-pointers, while connecting 70% of his shots.
All of these records achieved in one night solidifies Fred VanVleet as an elite guard in the NBA today. But what does this have to do with his cards and how will they be affected by this game?
The effect on Fred VanVleet’s value in the card market
VanVleet’s historic game has certainly put him on the map of every basketball fan. The card community is no different. A day after defeating the Magic, a base Prizm card was sold at $62.56. This represents a stark increase from where VanVleet’s cards were when the Raptors lost consecutive games early in the season.
While VanVleet’s card value has cooled down a bit, it doesn’t mean fans have had enough of him. Collectors are now chasing his 2018-19 Prizm rookie card, including the silver, cracked ice, and numbered parallels included. Those with deeper pockets can chase VanVleet’s autographed card from the 2016-17 Optic set, an item that can truly be considered his rookie card and is currently commanding a high value on the market.
VanVleet is just 26 years old and is about to enter his prime. Fans would do well to grab this guard’s cards now while prices are still manageable.
Follow Us
Subscribe