Ultra Modern basketball cards (from the 2019-present) time frame saw a significant shift in production philosophy, particularly the move toward high scarcity parallels, autographs, and game-used relics. Thousands of unique cards, for a single player, in a single rookie year, exist across many different sets and variations. A growing focus on extreme scarcity, with numerous serial-numbered parallels, short-printed variations, and high-end "case hits" have taken the headlines. The market continues to be heavily-influenced by speculation and the chase for rare inserts and high-grade cards, which can be highly volatile. Fortunately, there is continued innovation in design, often involving complex die-cuts, limited print runs, and unique visual effects. Overall, the ultra modern era represents an acceleration of trends from the later modern era, leading to a highly-complex and fragmented market focused on manufactured scarcity and high-value chase cards, rather than simply collecting full base sets of yesteryear.
2019-20 Panini Select Basketball is one of the more colorful sets for the sport. Between its base cards, autographs and other inserts, Prizms come into play. They total 12 per hobby box, which averages out to one per pack. Emphasizing hits a little more than some other chromium releases, there are three autographs or memorabilia cards in a hobby box as well.
Curry was expected to take on a greater offensive load in the 2019-20 season with Thompson out injured and Kevin Durant having left the Warriors as a free agent. In Game 3 of the 2019 Finals, Curry scored a playoff career-high 47 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists against the Toronota Raptors.
2019-20 Panini One and One Basketball puts a bit of a different spin on the One line that’s had a couple of football releases. Autographs are a major focus with one in every two-card box. However, unlike football, they’re not the only thing. Boxes here have an additional base card, parallel or insert. Hence the “and One.” With one card being signed, the second card is a non-hit. This included base cards and parallels for star veterans and rookies. The Rookie Autographs set checklist was limited to only 20 cards which were serial numbered #/99.
In high school, Bol was considered one of the best players in the class of 2018, having been rated a consensus five-star recruit and earning McDonald’s All-American honors. A center listed at 7 feet 3 inches, he is one of the tallest players in the NBA. He was drafted with the 44th pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the Miami Heat, but was traded to the Denver Nuggets on draft day.
2021-22 Panini Crown Royale Basketball continued to wear a die-cut crown. Its’ court includes a mix of other die-cuts, high-end autographs and memorabilia. Some of Crown Royale’s other autograph inserts take a die-cut approach like the base set. Future Kings Signatures centers on young players while Royal Signatures brings ink from veterans. Memorabilia themes on the checklist included Coat of Arms, Hall of Fame Memorabilia, Heirs to the Throne, and Knights of the Round Table.
Mark Eaton spent his entire career (1982-1993) with the Utah Jazz. Named an NBA All-Star in 1989, he was twice voted NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 1989). The 7-foot-4-inch center led the league in blocks four times and holds the NBA single-season records for blocks (456) and blocked shots per game average (5.6), as well as career blocked shots per game (3.5).
The seemingly unlikely partnership gets a second edition with 2023-24 Prizm Monopoly basketball. Collectors could combine chrome cards with the classic board game, or just try to collect the cards. Similar to the original 2022 series, the board game and Blasters first arrived at Target locations. Despite the rather small set, there are 30 parallels, with some issued as exclusives. The iCollect Blaster boxes sold on the Panini website average one Free Parking parallel.
In 2023–24, Chet Holmgren had a stellar rookie season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing all 82 games and establishing himself as a top-tier rim protector and versatile scorer. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and earning All-Rookie First Team honors. Holmgren became one of only three rookies in Thunder history to play all 82 games, logging 2,413 total minutes.
Searching for insert sets including Rookie Royalty, Sno Globe, Test of Time, Pillars of the Game and Hand Crafted, the Crown Royal line from Panini included “Test of Time” inserts numbered to 99 with only 15 players featured.
Luka led the NBA in scoring during the 2023-24 season, becoming the first European to lead the NBA in scoring and second international player to achieve the feat. That season, he led the Mavericks to their third NBA Finals appearance. Doncic, before being traded, was also the Maverick’s franchise leader in career triple-doubles, and held the record for most points in a Mavericks season.
In 2023, Stephen Curry's year was marked by standout NBA playoff performances, including a historic 50-point Game 7, continued success with the Golden State Warriors, launching his Curry Camp and new Under Armour gear, and a notable win at the American Century Championship golf tournament, solidifying his elite status in sports beyond basketball.
Aimed primarily at retail, there were multiple configurations in Premium Stock, each with their own price points and exclusives. Panini’s premium Boxes were like hobby with an autograph among the guarantees, blasters were traditional retail while Mega Boxes sat between the two. The base set consisted of 300 total cards, design-wise, being the same as the Hoops set that kicked off the season. Premium Stock does opt for different images, so the cards are significantly different besides just the chrome upgrade. This card was personally pulled, and this blue ice is numbered 45-of-99. Even better? When I received it back from CGC, it scored the coveted “Pristine 10” black label, how cool?!
Autograph line-up is limited as far as themes go, but collectors could find Hoops Ink, Hot Signatures and Rookie Ink. All three spun out further with an assortment of parallels. The chromium offering for the season, rooted in the main 2023-24 Hoops release; this set offered more shine, lots of inserts and even more parallels. Aimed primarily at retail, there were multiple configurations, each with their own price points and exclusives.
“Deuces” and “Big Paper Daddy,” Ricky Pierce was selected as an NBA All-Star and twice the Sixth Man of the Year, all while with the Milwaukee Bucks. Although drafted by the Pistons in the 1st round of the 1982 draft, Pierce is likely known for his prowess during his Bucks tenure. On November 9th, 1989, Pierce played a key role in the longest game in the shot clock era, at four hours and 17 minutes, scoring a team leading 36 points on 15 of 21 shooting, during a 155-154 5OT win.
Among the legends with autographs in Sports Heroes are Sandy Koufax, Joe Montana, John Elway, Nolan Ryan and Floyd Mayweather. There’s also Patrick Ewing whose signature has remained elusive when it comes to trading cards over the years. Hobby boxes are small, delivering just three cards. Many, but not all, of these use Leaf Metal branding and are done on chromium stock. The 2024 Leaf Sports Heroes checklist includes 125 cards, and this particular auto card comes from the base autographs checklist.
Elvin Hayes is a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and is an inductee in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Known for his offensive and defensive prowess, Hayes is often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. Hayes is also known for his longevity, being seventh all-time in NBA minutes played (at exactly 50,000), and missing only nine games during his 16-season career.
In 2024, Paul George made a major move, signing a four-year, $212 million max contract with the 76ers. He had a strong, efficient year (statistically) but battled some injuries too. George joined Philly’s team of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, aiming to boost the Sixer’s championship hopes. He began his tenure wearing #8, eventually debuting in November of 2024.
Noting the "Retail Debut," 2024-25 Panini Totally Certified basketball returned to NBA collectors in multiple formats. Trading card boxes were originally sold at the Target website.
The foil-filled NBA series was last seen as a standalone product in 2017-18, as for the unsigned memorabilia cards, the choices consist of Certified Gamers, New Generation Jerseys, Piece of the Game and Rookie Dual Swatches. This particular 76ers card is part of the “Certified Gamers Relics” checklist highlighting 35 players that year. This card was personally pulled and sent off to get graded. A MINT 9 grade was not a disappointment, as the card features game-used relic and those seem harder to come by these days..
Revolution is known for being one of the boldest sets each year as far as designs go. The foundation is bright foil stock that uses a variety of patterns to differentiate its parallels. Kaboom joined the checklist, finding its spot in a product known for its wild foil backdrops and pattern-based parallels. In a year with about 450 players on active rosters, the “Star Gazing” checklist featured only 25 pros.
In 2024, Stephon Castle was a top prospect in the NBA draft after winning a national championship with the UConn Huskies, leading to him being selected as the 4th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, and he quickly became a key player, earning the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year award for his impactful season with impressive scoring, assists, defense, and overall floor control.
The “college heroes autographs” checklist featured only 20 players. The ‘shimmer’ parallel, in Platinum Blue, are numbered to 10 or less. Hobby boxes were small, delivering just three cards. Many, but not all, of these use Leaf Metal branding and are done on chromium stock.
From 1984 to 2002, Olajuwon played Center and led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He is widely-considered to be one of the greatest centers, as well as one of te greatest basketball players of all time.
In 2024, Tyrese Haliburton had a breakout year with the Indiana Pacers, leading the league in assists, earning an All-Star selection, and helping the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference Finals before winning a Gold Medal with Team USA at the Paris Olympics, solidifying his status as a premier point guard.
2024-25 Totally Certified basketball saw the brand return as a standalone release for the first time since 2017-18. It has popped up in Chronicles a couple of times since then, but not as a full product. Once one of Panini’s premium hoops hobby offerings, Totally Certified found its place as a primarily retail product. The “Fabric of the Game” Mirror Red checklist featured 24 players, and this particular (personal pull) is numbered 27-of-75.
"Genesis" is a highly sought-after, short-print (SP) parallel card found within the overall 2024-25 Panini Mosaic Basketball product. It is considered a rare "case hit" that features a distinct, vibrant, and abstract design, meaning they are exceptionally rare to pull from a sealed box or case of 2024-25 Panini Mosaic basketball products.
In the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament against No. 7 Florida, Simpson hit a game-winning jumper with less than two seconds left to secure a 102-100 victory. He was selected with the 42nd overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2024 NBA draft.