There are some athletes who at a young age simply seem destined to achieve greatness, and Victor Wembanyama is one of them.

I haven’t seen the basketball card hobby this exited about a player’s rookie cards since LeBron James’ NBA debut in 2003. Collectors are buying up cards of the San Antonio Spurs’ center with hopes that he becomes the best big man of all-time. And so far, his sky-high potential has translated into strong production on the court, winning the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year Award by unanimous decision. 

So what are the best options when it comes to collecting Victor Wembanyama trading cards? Here are our picks.

Top pick (full recommendations below)

2023 Panini Donruss Optic #225 Holo rookie card

Wembanyama’s 2023-24 Donruss Optic #225 Holo parallel rookie card is my best value recommendation based on scarcity in gem mint grades and price (currently about $300 in a PSA 10 grade). Optic’s connection to the historic Donruss brand and its iconic “Rated Rookie” logo that adorns the cards of first-year players makes it especially appealing to collectors. Holo parallel cards radiate a rainbow-like sparkle and are one of the most desired variations for basketball rookies because of their more limited supply compared to base cards.

Things to know before buying

The value of sports cards can fluctuate for various reasons such as condition, print runs, or graded population. Other factors that can cause prices to go up or down include player performance, market trends, and health of the wider economy. The secondary sales market for individual cards of a given sport generally hits its lowest point during the offseason (in other words, you can usually find better prices in the offseason than during the season). My recommendations are not an attempt to promote specific investment behavior or trading advice, but to guide and inform readers about popular and unique cards that are celebrated by the sports card community. 

While the demand for Wembanyama cards is currently very high — he was among the 10 most searched athletes on eBay every month in 2024 — so is the supply. Even though he is just in his second year in the NBA, Wembanyama already has the sixth highest total population of graded cards all-time among athletes across all sports, with more than Derek Jeter or Tom Brady, according to Gemrate, which tracks graded card populations.

Ultimately, the best cards to collect are always the ones you will personally enjoy most, regardless of whether they go up or down in value. The recommendations below should serve as a starting point for cards to consider, but a big part of the fun in collecting is the hunt for the cards you like.  

“Raw” cards vs. Graded cards

Cards can come out of the pack (their “raw” state) with a wide variety of imperfections that can impact their value. Card grading is a process in which an expert of the field determines the condition of a card based on a number of factors (including corner sharpness, image centering, print imperfections, and more) and assigns a numerical grade, usually on a scale of 1-10 (with the latter being close to perfect) and sealed in a protective case. There are a number of grading companies, each with their own unique grading scales, but PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is by far the largest and most prominent in the industry. Cards graded a “PSA 10” can carry a significant value multiplier compared to raw cards or those graded by other companies. 

It’s fine (and often cheaper) to buy cards raw, but if you want to ensure authenticity and/or a minimum condition level, and you’re not experienced at determining card condition for yourself, you may want to buy a graded card instead — particularly if you’re buying online and only able to see the card in photographs. 

Best low-end (~$1-$99) Victor Wembanyama cards

This is a category for collectors who are on a tighter budget or aren’t as concerned about the long-term monetary value of the cards they buy. 

2023 Panini Hoops #277 rookie card

The 7-foot-3 sensation’s 2023 Panini Hoops #277 card is a budget-friendly base rookie that’s modestly priced in PSA 10 graded copies. As I write this, raw examples are selling on eBay for as low as $5, and PSA 10s are fetching between $25 and $45.

Hoops is one of Panini’s low-end basketball releases printed on traditional paper card stock. (In many cases, the value, condition sensitivity, and desirability of a card can depend on the quality and thickness of the card stock.) Hoops cards were introduced to collectors in 1989 when the inaugural set included a rookie card of another Spurs center with huge expectations coming into the league, David “The Admiral” Robinson.

If you’re looking to add an inexpensive Wembanyama base rookie card to your collection, this is a great first choice and a practical alternative to his Donruss rookie.

More expensive variations and parallels: Blue, Hyper Blue, Impulse, Neon Green, Purple, Purple Winter, Red Backs, Teal Explosion, Winter, Yellow, Premium Box Set (/199), Silver (/199), Green (/99), Hyper Red (/99), Gravity (/75), Red (/75), Blue Explosion (/59), Artist Proof (/25), Hyper Green (/25), Orange Explosion (/25), Red Explosion (/15), Artist Proof Gold (/10), Hyper Gold (/10), Artist Proof Black (1/1)

2023 Panini Prizm #136 rookie card

Prizm is Panini’s flagship brand, so I had to include Wembanyama’s 2023 Prizm #136 base rookie card here. Prizm is printed on chromium card stock, which his thicker and has more of a metallic shine than paper stock cards. 

Despite Prizm’s popularity, this card lands in the low-end section of the price ranges because it has high print runs, particularly in recent years. PSA has graded over 40,000 copies of his Prizm #136 base rookie with nearly 25,000 receiving a PSA 10 grade. As a result of that high supply, collectors can purchase gem-mint graded examples for less than $100. 

However, Prizm offers an abundance of variations and parallels (see the long list below) that I’d recommend pursuing if you want a much more limited Wembanyama Prizm rookie card.

Prizm’s growing print runs combined with the brand’s mainstream appeal to both novice and experienced collectors alike makes it one of Wembanyama’s most transacted rookie cards.

More expensive serial numbered parallels of this card: Silver, Red Prizm (/299), Red Seismic Prizm (/299), Teal Ice Prizm (/225), Blue Prizm (/199), White Prizm (/175), Blue Fast Break Prizm (/150), Purple Ice Prizm (/149), Blue Sparkle Prizm (/144), Blue Ice Prizm (/125), Red Fast Break Prizm (/100), Blue Seismic Prizm (/99), Purple Prizm (/99), Choice Red Prizm (/88), Multi Wave Prizm (/88), Purple Fast Break Prizm (/75), Red Power Prizm (/75), Orange Wave Prizm (/60), Pink Fast Break Prizm (/42), White Wave Prizm (/38), Blue Shimmer Prizm (/35), Purple Pulsar Prizm (/35), White Ice Prizm (/35), Green Pulsar Prizm (/25), Mojo Prizm (/25), Gold Sparkle Prizm (/24), Bronze Fast Break Prizm (/20), Choice Cherry Blossom Prizm (/20), Gold Prizm (/10), Gold Shimmer Prizm (/10), Wave Gold Prizm (/10), Choice Green Prizm (/8), Green Sparkle Prizm (/8), Lucky Envelopes Prizm (/8), Black Gold Prizm (/5), Green Shimmer Prizm (/5), Neon Green Fast Break Prizm (/5), Black Prizm (1/1),  Black Shimmer Prizm (1/1) Choice Nebula Prizm (1/1)

Best value (~$100-$499) Victor Wembanyama cards

This is a category for collectors looking to pay a bit more for cards that have some degree of scarcity and have a better chance at retaining or increasing in value long-term. 

2023 Panini Donruss Optic #225 Holo rookie card

Panini’s Donruss Optic sets are the premium, chrome-ified versions of standard Donruss and its classic “Rated Rookie” cards, which were first introduced in 1984. 

For this particular recommendation, I wanted to move away from base cards and suggest one of the more memorable refractors that’s been a highlight of Optic since 2016: the “Holo” parallel. This parallel has a reflective prism-like effect when held up to the light and is a more limited card that runs parallel to the base set. 

Wembanyama’s 2023 Panini Optic #225 Holo rookie card has a unique rainbow-like shine and showcases his giant hands around the basketball as he attempts to make a pass. The exact number of Holo parallel cards printed per set is unknown, but it’s substantially less than base cards. Collectors can find six Holo parallels in every sealed hobby box and two per blaster box (on average).

According to PSA, there are less than 2,300 examples of Wembanyama’s Optic #225 Holo rookie card graded by the company and less than 1,100 have received a PSA 10 grade. (For comparison, there are around 6,300 PSA graded examples of the popular 2023 Prizm #150 Silver parallel and about 4,200 PSA 10s.)

The nostalgic aspects of Donruss’ Rated Rookie cards and the limited quantity of Wembanyama Optic Holo PSA 10 graded cards make this one my best value recommendation. Not to mention, It’s also priced lower than his Prizm #136 Silver parallel. Raw and PSA 10 copies of his Optic Holo #225 rookie card are fetching between $100 and $300 on eBay.

More expensive variations and parallels: White Sparkle, Red Velocity (/299), Aqua (/249), Blue Seismic (/249), Premium Box Set (/249), Orange (/199), Lime Green (/149), Red Seismic (/130), Copper Glitter (/99) Fast Break Purple (/99), Hyper Orange (/99), Red (/99), Red/Gold International (/99), Red Choice (/88), Pink Velocity (79), Green Glitter (/77), Fast Break Red (/75), Red Glitter (/75), Green International (/65), Blue (/49), Fast Break Blue (/49), Green Velocity (/49), Black Velocity (/39), Fast Break Pink (/25), Pink (/25), Blue Mojo Choice (/24), Purple Stars (/17), Blue Glitter (/15), Fast Break Gold (/10), Gold (/10), Gold International (/10), Black Gold Choice (/8), Lucky Envelopes (/8), Fast Break Red and Yellow (/7), Fast Break Neon Green (/5), Green (/5), Black (1/1, Fast Break Black (1/1), Gold Vinyl (1/1), Nebula Choice (1/1)

2023 Panini PhotoGenic #200 rookie card

I typically stick to cards from traditional releases that have built a large following, but sometimes sets that have debuted in recent years, like Panini’s PhotoGenic Basketball, can be worthy of consideration too. Launched in 2021 as an online-exclusive, these photography-centric cards use some of the finest and most distinctive images of the NBA’s top rookies, stars, and legends. 2023 PhotoGenic base rookies are short-printed and come with only three rookie cards per box, so the chances of pulling a Wembayama #200 out of a pack are not in your favor. As a result, the base rookie card has a low PSA graded population with less than 50 gem mint PSA 10 copies in existence (for the time being).

The card’s image of Wembayama denying Giannias Antetokounmpo’s dunk attempt truly represents his gifted shot-blocking ability. This is one of the best-looking rookie cards of his that Panini has to offer, in my opinion. It’s also worth noting that this is the first card I’ve mentioned showing the 21-year-old playing in an NBA game rather than images used from photoshoots. PSA 10 sales on eBay are in the $350-$450 ballpark.

Additional variations and parallels: Silver (/99), Diamond (/75), Wedges (/49), Maze (/25), Gold (/10), Fireworks (/5), Platinum (1/1)

Best high-end (~$500+) Victor Wembanyama cards

This is a category for collectors looking to acquire the most desired Wembanyama cards on the market. 

2023 Topps Chrome #CG-VW Autograph

Topps lost the exclusive license to produce NBA cards to Panini in 2010, but after a long hiatus, Topps Chrome Basketball made its return in 2024, reintroducing the product with Wembanyama rookie cards and autographs as the set’s main attraction. However, you won’t find a Topps Chrome Wembanyama rookie or autograph card with a Spurs logo. Yet.

Panini still has the exclusive NBA trading card license for a bit longer, meaning they are the only card manufacturer that can print official NBA team names and logos on their trading cards. Unlicensed cards, like those currently produced by Topps for basketball, generally generate lower collector interest, but Wemby’s Topps Chrome autograph is one of his most prized high-end cards since he’s only signing cards produced by Topps. Fanatics (which owns Topps) may not be able to produce NBA-licensed cards right now, but they do have exclusive trading card autograph and memorabilia deals with superstars like Wembanyama, and most recently Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.

Raw examples of this card are selling on eBay for close to $1,000 and PSA 10’s are fetching between $2,000-$2,500.

Additional variations and parallels: Refractor, Purple Geometric Refractor, Gold Refractor (/50), Orange Geometric Refractor (/25) Black Wave Refractor (/10), Red Geometric Refractor (/5), Black Geometric Refractor (/2), SuperFractor (1/1)

2023 Panini Crown Royale #11 Kaboom!

Since Wembanyama has no Panini rookie autograph cards with a Spurs or NBA logo, hobbyists have been chasing his most visually captivating inserts with extremely low print runs (known as super short prints). Out of the popular insert cards produced of the Frenchman, Wembanyama’s Panini #11 Kaboom! from Crown Royale is one of his most valuable. In 2024, his Kaboom! Gold parallel 3/10 sold in near-mint condition (PSA 7 grade) for $40,260 at Goldin Auctions. Wembanyama was also featured on the 2023 Kaboom! checklist for Panini’s Crown Royale Euroleague Basketball release, but is pictured wearing his LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne jersey from 2021.

Value put aside, Kaboom! cards have become some of the most sought-after inserts of the modern era thanks in part to their relative scarcity and flashy, comic-book style design.

Additional variations and parallels: Gold (/10), Green (1/1)

Other cool Victor Wembanyama Cards

2023 Sports Illustrated for Kids #1053

One of Wembanyama’s first cards before his time with the Spurs can be found in a Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine. The card’s image captures him soaring through the air for a dunk while playing for Metropolitans 92 in France’s LNB pro basketball league. 

The monthly magazine for young sports fans has produced cards in each issue since 1989 and has included early cards of legends across various sports, such as Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and Tony Hawk.

SI for Kids come with a sheet of nine perforated trading cards that can be individually removed by gently folding and tearing along the perforated lines. Since these cards have to be pulled apart, there’s a higher risk of the card being damaged. These cards often have image centering issues too — a key element considered by graders. These issues have resulted in a minuscule number of PSA-authenticated examples in high grades. Only eight copies have received a PSA 9 and none have earned a gem-mint 10 grade.  Out of the nearly 1,700 cards submitted to the company for authentication, PSA 6 was the most common grade received, with around 450 copies in existence.

Raw sales of Wembanyama’s SI for Kids card span from $30 to as high as $150 depending on the condition and how centered the borders are. Personally, I’d be interested in buying a complete copy of the magazine that the card was issued in so I could carefully remove it from the sheet myself. The 2023 January/February issue of S.I. for Kids including Wemby’s card can be found on eBay with sales in the $100 range, give or take.

2023 Topps Now Yankees Event Worn Jersey Relic #472B

In the summer of 2023, the Yankees invited Wembanyama to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game in New York, which happened to be two days before the NBA draft, where he became the No. 1 overall pick. Topps Now — a print-on-demand product used to quickly commemorate milestones and significant moments — produced MLB-licensed Wemby cards that featured a piece of the Yankees jersey he sported during the occasion. Cards including a piece of memorabilia or relics are common in the hobby, but this “event-worn” baseball jersey of an NBA player is an unusual sports card crossover.

2023-24 Panini Court Kings Acetate Rookies

Panini’s Court Kings sets have some of the best eye-appeal of any basketball cards, and the Acetate Rookies inserts are among the most unique. Acetate cards are made from a clear plastic instead of the usual paper-based stock, allowing designers to make parts of the card see-through. The Acetate Rookies inserts were only available outside the U.S., adding a further level of intrigue to them. Perhaps because they’re not as well known among American collectors, they tend to be pretty cheap despite how cool they look and how limited they are, so you can still get an ungraded copy for $50 or less.

Getting the best price

Prices for a certain trading card can vary wildly and fluctuate quickly, making it important to check recent sales of a given card to make sure you’re buying at a fair value. You can check recent sales of an item on eBay by selecting the “sold items” filter on search results. You can also run a search on 130point.com, which is a free site that provides sales data from a number of top online marketplaces. There are also several apps that provide more in-depth sales data, often charging subscription fees for full access. 

To account for outliers and scams, it’s important to consider multiple previous sales, not just the single most recent. It’s also important to note the recency of those sales and any real-world factors that could affect changes in value. 

Why you should trust us

As a second-generation collector, Tyler Holzhammer started collecting cards and attending the National Sports Collectors Convention at 10 years old. He’s evolved his passion as a collector into a career, previously providing sports card content and market analysis for companies like Sports Card Investor and Goldin Auctions. Tyler’s sports card collection is centered around players from his favorite teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the St. Louis Cardinals.

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(Top photo: Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images; card images: eBay)