In Part 1 of this deep dive series, Max @PutnamCards breaks down the best and most underrated cards from 2018-19 Panini Basketball products — the legendary rookie year of Luka Dončić, SGA, and Jalen Brunson.

This was also LeBron James’ first season with the Lakers, Kawhi Leonard’s only season with the Raptors, and the start of back-to-back Giannis Antetokounmpo NBA MVP seasons.

This Part 1 episode covers Prizm, Donruss Optic, Select, Contenders, and more — highlighting key cards such as Kabooms, Downtowns, Galactics, and Cracked Ice Rookie Tickets.

Chapters
00:00 Episode Introduction
01:02 Toronto Sports Card Expo
01:21 NBA Playoff Talk
02:51 2018-19 Panini Deep Dive Notes
06:29 Hoops
08:32 Donruss & Donruss Optic
10:46 Certified
12:46 Prizm
15:24 Absolute Memorabilia
16:44 Revolution
20:06 Contenders & Contenders Optic
22:24 Dominion
23:22 Crown Royale & Kabooms
28:32 Impeccable
30:18 Select
32:35 Cornerstones
35:00 The Weekly Alley-Oop

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Max @PutnamCards is joined by Kaushik Mohan (@TheIronSheek) to break down how they’re evolving their collecting strategies in today’s red hot basketball card market.

They discuss their growing focus on storytelling, why it matters in sports card collecting, and how it lies at the heart of the hobby.

They also dive into LeBron Panini Logomans, uncover overlooked opportunities in the basketball card market, and the continued influx of new collectors into the hobby.

Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction

02:14 The Detroit Pistons Stink

02:32 Shifting Collecting Strategies

08:50 Importance of Storytelling

14:36 LeBron Logomans

18:29 Thoughts on New Collectors
23:18 Potential Areas of Opportunity
26:27 Sports Card Narratives
27:42 Kaushik’s Favorite New Card
31:22 Rapid Fire Questions

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Max @PutnamCards breaks down the #1 rule to win in the sports card market - and why it’s the key to enjoying collecting and making better financial decisions.

He also compares the trading card performance over the past two years of today’s young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama to legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.

Plus, a brief discussion of the recent $324K 2000 Flair Showcase Kobe Bryant Masterpiece 1/1 PSA 8 sale and thoughts on the new NBA Garbage Pail Kids inserts in Bowman Basketball cards.

Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction

01:19 NBA Playoffs

02:39 GOATs or Current Superstars?

10:33 #1 Rule for Successful Sports Card Collecting

15:21 Recent Interesting Sales

20:32 2000 Flair Showcase Kobe Masterpiece 1/1

22:00 Bowman Garbage Pail Kids

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Max @PutnamCards breaks down his top 5 predictions for the basketball card market for the rest of 2026.

From upcoming Topps releases and their potential impact on the hobby, to how the NBA Playoffs could shift player values and legacies in real time, this episode covers the biggest forces shaping the market throughout the remainder of the year.


He also explores the current state of the trading card market and why more collectors are moving away from ultra high-end cards in favor of “value” plays.

Chapters
00:00 Episode Introduction
01:41 Prediction 1
08:16 Prediction 2
12:10 Prediction 3
16:39 Prediction 4
24:01 Prediction 5
24:51 Bonus Observation
26:43 Conclusion

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Which year of Topps Chrome basketball has the BEST design ever?

In this episode, Max @PutnamCards ranks all 15 NBA-licensed Topps Chrome basketball releases from 1996–2009 and the brand new 2025 release — going from #15 all the way to #1.

This iconic run includes legendary draft classes and rookie cards of:

• Kobe Bryant (1996)
• LeBron James (2003)
• Stephen Curry (2009)
  

From the original chrome shine of the late 90s…to the bold ultra modern comeback in 2025…Max breaks down which designs truly stand the test of time.

Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction

00:46 Criteria for Ranking Topps Chrome Designs

03:56 Official Topps Chrome Basketball Ranking

35:15 Conclusion

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What if there was an official basketball card museum…and you could only choose 10 cards total?

In this episode, Max @PutnamCards is joined by Adam Gray @thereal27guy as they draft the ultimate top 10 basketball cards to put in a museum — featuring everything from Michael Jordan ‘90s grails, to 2003 LeBron James rookies and legendary Kobe Bryant cards.

From 1/1 ghost cards to the hobby’s most recognizable vintage icons, this is our take on what belongs in a true basketball card shrine.

Chapters
0:00 Episode Introduction
3:19 Basketball Card Museum Draft
26:00 Draft Snubs (Honorable Mentions)
36:28 John Stockton Ultimate Logoman Auto 1/1

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Max @PutnamCards breaks down the final Panini NBA-licensed 2024-25 basketball products, including Prizm Black, Donruss Optic, Flawless, and National Treasures.

Highlights include:

• Top inserts: Downtowns, Color Blast, Manga, Slammy
• Insane NBA Finals game-worn materials
• Key rookies, stars, and rare parallels

Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction

03:25 Mosaic

07:14 Photogenic

09:52 Noir

14:21 National Treasures

19:44 Donruss Optic

23:07 Silhouette

29:00 Obsidian

30:37 One and One

34:52 Immaculate

39:16 Flawless

42:09 Eminence

44:34 Prizm Black

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The 2024-25 season marked the final year of Panini holding the exclusive NBA trading card license—and it’s one of the most important years for basketball card collectors in modern hobby history.

In Part 1 of this breakdown, Max @ PutnamCards dives deep into the first half of Panini’s 2024-25 basketball releases — analyzing every product, underrated sets, and what actually matters for collectors going forward.

From Prizm and Select to Kabooms, Revolution Galactics, Court Kings, and Manga inserts, this episode covers it all. This is your complete guide to how Panini closed out its NBA-licensed trading card era.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:04 Dallas Card Show, Stacking Slabs, & Cade Injury
• 04:57 Hoops
• 09:03 Prizm
• 16:59 Donruss
• 22:02 Court Kings
• 28:23 Prizm Monopoly
• 29:49 Totally Certified
• 32:38 Origins
• 34:43 Prizm Deca
• 36:40 Revolution
• 41:53 Select

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