Almost everyone in the hobby agrees that adding a LeBron James rookie card to a collection is the ultimate high. The King's legacy and long list of accomplishments not only strengthen his case as the greatest ever on the court, but it's also helping his value in the card market. But with the Los Angeles Lakers' underwhelming and frustrating season, James stock is showing being affected in more ways than one.
At this point in time, the regular season is about to end and make way for the postseason. If the Lakers fail to grab even a spot in the play-in tournament, the outcry from fans and collectors alike won't be good for those LeBron James rookie cards in the market. We tackle the facts down below, the current state of the King's stock, and what can be done about it.
The reasons why LeBron James rookie cards are dropping
Last season's Lakers had the team finish first among 30 teams when it comes to defensive rating. And although the Purple and Gold's 109.9 offensive rating positions them at the 24th, the presence of James and Anthony Davis was enough for opposing squads to, at the very least, fear them. That is until the Lakers found themselves eliminated early in the postseason by the Phoenix Suns due to various injuries to key players.
The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 30, 2021
This is one of the many reasons why the front office opted to trade for Russell Westbrook in the offseason, which adds another layer of offense and playmaking to a team that sorely needs these elements to their game. What Rob Pelinka and company didn't account for was the Brodie's fit and the lack of real perimeter threats that can help the Lakers' spacing issues.
Needless to say, the Westbrook experiment isn't working well for James and the Lakers. His 16.1% turnover rate, coupled with an abysmal 29% shooting efficiency from downtown, isn't doing his team any favors. And to add salt to the wound, Davis' constant encounters with various injuries have severely frustrated everyone, including fans of the Purple and Gold.
With Westbrook and Davis' inconsistencies becoming more glaring, the Lakers have given James a burden that's heavier than what he expected. In the 43 games he played this season, some of which he did as a center, the King posted 29 points on 52% shooting from the field, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and a single block per contest. As it stands, James is creating plays for his teammates while shouldering much of the team's offense.
Season high 43 points.
This is 37.
LeBron James x #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/Ii5ZLMXJEk
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 1, 2022
But as great as LBJ's individual season has gone so far, the same can't be said about the Lakers. They're currently 9th in the Western Conference with a 27-33 record. Plus, they're on pace to enter the play-in tournament for the second straight year if they don't rise up through the rankings in the coming weeks.
With the frustration mounting in the City of Angels, there isn't a good outlook for the Lakers in the coming months. And because of this, James' rookie cards are getting affected in the most unfortunate of ways.
The state of LeBron James rookie cards
Being the greatest player of his generation, it's only fitting for the definitive LeBron James rookie card to fetch a high price in the market. But recent data has shown that its value has been on a steady drop from where it was late last year.
In a three-month graph from Card Ladder, PSA 10 slabs of James' Topps Chrome started at $11,700 and steadily fell off to $9,500. That's an 18.8% drop from late last year with a price difference of $2,200 over 72 confirmed sales in the market. While his PSA 10 isn't doing so hot, the base cards are on the opposite side of the spectrum.
In another graph by Card Ladder covering the same period, James' raw 2003 Topps Chrome rookie card has gone up from $2,324 to $2,651. That's a 14.07% rise or a price difference of $327 over 20 confirmed sales. It remains to be seen if this is just a single upward spike that will still retain the overall downward trend, or a reversal in price is starting to form.
Those who are affected the most are hobbyists who entered the market and purchased these rookie cards during their peak. At one point, James' Topps Chrome stock was thrice as valuable as they currently are. With the steady drop of his PSA 10 slab value that's presently occurring, the amount of money these collectors lost should be staggering.
The verdict on LeBron James rookie cards
There's no denying that the steady downward trend these LeBron James rookie cards are currently on has been frustrating. Collectors can chalk it up to the Lakers' struggles this season and their corresponding record in the Western Conference. But while all of these causes are valid and true, one fact remains and it reigns supreme above everything else – LeBron James is still LeBron James.
Whatever happens in Los Angeles this year, James' legacy has been cemented. With multiple rings, countless records under his name, and a career that is way above almost everybody in the NBA, the King will have what it takes to survive one turbulent season with a flawed Lakers roster.
With that thought in mind, collectors can view this drop as the ideal time to invest in these LeBron James rookie cards. There's still a chance they can fall further down in price, but at least there's no more danger of buying near the top of their value.
James will retire in a couple of years from this season. When everything is said and done, his rookie cards will be more valued now that the greatest player of this generation is playing with limited time in the league. There's no better time than now to nab his stock while they're still there.
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