NBA RCs I missed

I've made an interesting foray back into basketball cards over the last month. I still feel very uninformed. I didn't collect basketball cards from about 1998 onward. 

And I'm not going to start, really. I'm not going to buy packs or boxes. I am very uninformed on the current market. Outside of a bunch of much-appreciated Knicks from Cards on Cards, I have no idea really what is what over the last 20 years.

But I've admired many careers of basketball players that have started since I no longer collected basketball. My enjoyment of the NBA never went away. I just put my focus on baseball cards.

So while bored over the last few weeks, I've decided to pick up some basketball rookie cards, just to keep in my rookie card stash. In most cases, it's the low end brand. I'm not looking at these as an investment or anything. There is no Stadium Club Beam Team Shaq here. Just a few lower end RCs of guys I wanted to own.

In no particular order:

Donovan Mitchell is a great player. Playing in Utah doesn't really help his card appeal (uninformed opinion). But he's really good. And so are the Jazz. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and made his first All-Star game this past year. He's averaging over 24 PPG this year. 

Kevin Durant! I'm not his biggest fan. He's so good, but so sensitive. And he seems really irritable. But he's one of the best players the league has ever seen, and it's awesome that his RCs are Sonics cards. I wanted a regular Topps, but got a better deal on whatever that card above is.

This sweet Shaq was actually acquired in a trade from Vrooomed. I sent him a newer Brendan McKay, and he shot me this Shaq. I have fond memories of this card. My friend and I used to sneak into his Dad's bedroom to oogle this card, which was kept in his desk drawer. We also found some magazines there, which were not Becketts.

Anthony Davis! ZZ's main basketball squeeze. This dude is an amazing player. Part of me hopes the Lakers make it to the Finals so the world can appreciate AD on the main stage. I wanted his regular old Hoops RC, but I found this in a lot of Davis cards that was cheaper than if I had bought this card on its own. I don't know why that is sometimes, but it's true.

A couple T-Macs! He's a Hall of Famer. Did you know that?

A couple of Jason Kidds. He's a Hall of Famer too. Blocking Muggsy Bogues is mean.

I chuckled when I bought this Duncan RC. It's one of the most affordable ones he has, and everything about the design of this card is so un-Duncan.

I do not like Paul Pierce. The whole Boston thing. And he's a giant faker, like when he got wheeled off the court in a wheelchair and then came back 5 minutes later. But he will be a HOFer. And this card cost $1. So I bought it. He and Vince Carter have some pretty cool RCs in Topps flagship.

I'm not sure who I'll pick up next. Maybe Beal and John Wall? I have a Zion, luckily. And I doubt I'll ever snag a LeBron or Curry. Those are in Trout territory. 

TTM Success: Shaq

Last Friday, I returned home to find an envelope that I didn’t recognize.

I opened it and found my SASE (unused), with two signed cards in it. I sent these in early April:

Nice! Now, when I showed this on Twitter, the TTM Police immediately told me someone signs for him. They love doing that. It's a funny thing. It's worse on Instagram, which is why I don't participate on that site from a hobby standpoint. 

Are they real? I’m not sure one way or the other, as the signatures look pretty good compared to his certified stuff. I’m also not too worried about it. I’m not getting these authenticated or selling them. They are for me.

Growing up, Shaq was pretty much the most popular player on the planet outside of MJ. He had a great career, and I’m lucky I had a couple cards to send him. I used to have a bunch of Shaq cards growing up, but haven’t seen them in years. Perhaps they are still in my parents’ attic. I discovered these two in a box of mixed singles I had.

Moms and cards

I'm sure many of us can point to our moms as having some sort of influence as to why we collected as kids. She drove us to the card shop or drugstore, or gave us our small weekly allowance to blow on cards.

My mom was definitely the reason I started collecting seriously. She was the enabler!

She had gotten me plenty of packs before. I remember constant packs of 1993 Topps every time she went to CVS. But it was Christmas of 1993 which really took it to another level.

Mom's are good at playing Santa. They pay attention to what you like and then use it as inspiration for putting gifts under the tree. I unintentionally dropped a few hints which would lead me to finding a serious stash of cards awaiting me on Christmas.

The first hint was that my friends at school (I was in 4th grade) had a bunch of Upper Deck basketball cards from that year. My friend graciously gave my my first Michael Jordan card. I remember excitedly bringing it home and showing her.

The second happened in November. I had a 3rd and 4th grade basketball league game. We ran an errand on the way home at a smaller mall in the downtown area of my city, and there just so happened to be a card show that weekend. I had a decent game. I made 6 baskets (I remember that detail vividly), and she gave me $3 to spend at the card show after her errand. I went from table to table (which may have been awful for her), and landed on this card:

I remember her saying, "I think you made a good investment."

A few weeks later, my stocking was stuffed with packs of basketball cards. I can remember these two cards coming from packs, even 23 years later:

I'm sure it made her job easier from there on out. Cards and I'd be happy. It holds true to this day, in fact.

Thanks Mom, and Happy Mother's Day!