Who would’ve thought that sports cards would command insane prices these days? More than a year ago, most people never give much thought about this hobby, let alone invest a lot of money in it. Only a chosen few had the foresight to see how massive the sports card industry could become.

Among those people who got in early into the hobby are big-time influencers, like Gary Vaynerchuk. It can be remembered that this entrepreneur and social media personality endlessly called on people to invest in cards before their value skyrocketed sometime last year.

As of the moment, almost everyone is into collecting sports cards. Take a look around and you’ll most likely bump into a fellow collector or meet someone who has heavily invested in this type of memorabilia. As it stands, even famous NBA players have found out about the hype surrounding this hobby and entered the game.

With the surging growth of basketball cards in popularity and demand, it’s not surprising to find that some popular names in the league are into this hobby. We take a look below at five notable NBA stars who are not just collecting cards but actively buying their own stock in the market.

 

Kevin Durant

One of the greatest scorers in NBA history has set his sights on sports cards, not just as a hobby, but as an investment as well. Just recently, Kevin Durant, along with his fellow investors in The Chernin Group, has allocated $40 million to Goldin Auctions. This move will help the auction company’s plan to expand its operations to booming markets outside of the United States.

As a collector, the Slim Reaper owns one of the most valuable cards in the market right now – an Immaculate Collection card signed by Durant himself and the late Kobe Bryant. The card, gifted by Panini to the Brooklyn Nets’ All-Star, was signed by the Black Mamba before he passed away last year. Durant then signed it and is now part of his personal collection.

 

Ray Allen

Counted among the deadliest shooters in league history, Ray Allen has locked on a different target now that he’s retired – sports cards. Just recently, the legendary shooting guard purchased a 2004-05 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logo Autograph card that features him and Michael Redd, his former teammate with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The card features a pair of huge NBA Logoman patches from jerseys these two players wore and their respective signatures. In an Instagram post, Allen said that sports cards are a good way to reminisce about his past in the league. For sure, his first foray into the hobby won’t certainly be the last.

 

Serge Ibaka

When he’s not busy defending the post for the Los Angeles Clippers, Serge Ibaka is out hunting sports cards for his collection. It all started sometime in February last year when Ibaka met with Vaynerchuk. The entrepreneur made a pitch about sports cards and their imminent boom at that time. For his part, Ibaka listened intently as Vaynerchuk described how valuable cards can be as an investment.

True enough, the card market did explode a few months after. Although Ibaka’s personal collection and investment pieces aren’t publicly known at the moment, it’s safe to say the big man listened to Vaynerchuk’s advice on sports cards.

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

A few weeks before the Bubble in Orlando started, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a TikTok video of his prized card collection. The kicker here is that all of the cards he showed featured him.

The two-time Most Valuable Player awardee laid out his collection onto a table, which included valuable autographed patch cards. From the video alone, you can see that the Greek Freak’s card collection is significant in both quantity and quality. There isn’t any new update on how many cards Antetokounmpo has right now but you can be sure it’s worth a fortune.

 

LeBron James

LeBron James’s cunning isn’t just limited to the court. It’s also evident in how the King has created his brand and the countless investments he has made over the years. One of these is his prized card collection.

Last year, news broke out that an Upper Deck Exquisite Rookie Patch Auto card of James sold for $1.8 million. In a tweet, LBJ said that he owns a couple of those exact cards. This means that James’ collection is now worth millions of dollars. It isn’t known yet what other sports cards James has in his possession. What matters, though, is that they’re sure to fetch a pretty insane amount when sold on the market.

These five players are just the tip of the iceberg. With the hobby continuing to grow at an exponential rate, more and more people will take notice and enter it, including past and present NBA players. Keep an eye on these stars because their involvement in the card industry will surely be a good development for everyone in the hobby.