Rookie prospects who show a lot of promise are often rewarded with an endorsement deal. This is done to ensure that when these guys enter the league soon, their autographed memorabilia are locked in place. The latest young star to be offered with this kind of deal is Jalen Green. The thing is, he has two of those with the biggest card companies in the industry – Panini and Upper Deck.
Just last year, the 19-year-old standout from the NBA G League was signed by Upper Deck for his autographed memorabilia. Some of these items that are offered in Upper Deck’s online store are signed basketballs.
Panini America Signs NBA G League Star and Projected Top-Five NBA Draft Pick Jalen Green to Exclusive Trading Card Agreement #collect #thehobby pic.twitter.com/287Y8ubl4u
— Cardboard Connection (@sportscards) June 3, 2021
Not to be outdone, Panini is doing the same with Jalen Green. This time, though, it’s to lock the young player’s signature and profile onto his own trading cards. Panini CEO Mark Warsop said that Green will be a key figure in the company’s products, not only during his rookie season, but for the years to come. He added that he is an offensively-gifted player fans and collectors alike will clamor for.
Panini stated that the absence of a college background won’t hinder them from featuring Green throughout their collegiate and NBA-related products. For his part, Jalen Green said that as a kid who collected trading cards, he is excited to have his own soon.
Choosing to do away with the traditional route of entering collegiate basketball, Jalen Green opted to enter the NBA’s developmental league after high school. In the 15 games he played for G-League Ignite, the 6’6” shooting guard averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. He also shot 46% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc on 5.7 attempts.
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