New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson is finally cashing in on the chance to have his own trading cards with storied retailer Panini, which has made some of the most iconic and valuable collectable cards in the history of the sport. Doing so has put the rookie in a surreal state of joy:
“It's dope. I used to collect some of these cards and now I have my own,” Williamson told SNY's Ian Begley, while saying his favorite card growing up was of NFL star Barry Sanders. “The first thing I did (when seeing the Panini card) was flip it over to look at the stats and information. I was like, ‘It was me.' It's dope.”
Williamson will not only be collecting royalties for his card sales, but could also challenge some of the best in the sport if he has a grandiose career as many expect him to. Former stars of the game like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and even LeBron James have had their rookie cards go for exorbitant prices in auction, considered among the holy grail of opportunities.
New York Knicks forward Ignas Brazdeikis, who also took part in the signing of his own card, realized the impact this will have on the younger generation:
“It was actually surreal signing your own training cards. It's really crazy,” he said. “Because I was a big trading card guy (growing up), I used to collect them all them. So now having my own and signing them is just amazing.”
Going from collector to collectable has to be an over-the-moon feeling, but for Williamson it will also mean having his pockets full after being unable to cash in on his likeness during his one year in college, despite his overwhelming mass appeal.
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