OFFICIAL GUIDE: THE MOST VALUABLE LAMELO BALL ROOKIES & TOP BASE CARDS FOR INVESTORS & COLLECTORS
FEATURING THE HIGHEST VALUED LAMELO BALL ROOKIES & TOP BASE CARDS WITH THE HIGHEST UPSIDE
A complete Guide to the Most Valuable LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards
LaMelo rookie season stat line made headlines as ESPN (and others) compared it with Luka Doncic and LeBron James. It is no wonder he won the rookie of the year award despite missing a few games due to an injury. As such, his rookie cards are now considered one of the hottest investments in the entire hobby.
LaMelo was the real deal averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds en route to taking home the 2020–21 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. LaMelo appears to be the Big Baller that LaVar, and later scouts, projected him to be and had no problem living up to those lofty extractions as it seems his older brother has.
Even as one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory, the youngest Ball has exceeded expectations. Living up to his last name, LaMelo’s been key in turning around the long-woebegone Hornets franchise.
Gianis Antetokounpo, Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball. These are the next generation of Hall of Fame NBA players that will replace aging superstars. All three should have some percent of your investment portfolio.
THE 1ST LAMELO BALL ROOKIE CARDS
LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards are found in 2020–21 basketball sets, but they’re not his first cards. Leaf released several pre-rookie cards of him as far back as 2018 — including autographs.
They create a unique situation seldom seen in basketball. Pre-dating his first NBA cards by a couple of years adds a level of intrigue. And for many, especially the autographs, they’ve continued to draw strong prices even as NBA signatures start to hit the market.
THE MOST VALUABLE LAMELO BALL ROOKIE CARDS
The most valuable LaMelo Ball rookie card rankings.
1. 2020–21 PANINI NATIONAL TREASURES LAMELO BALL RC #130 RPA
If money is no object, the key LaMelo Ball rookie card comes in 2020–21 National Treasures Basketball. This RPA is arguably the top high-end choice thanks to the NT brand power.
Headlining the high-end set is the Rookie Patch Autographs line. Featuring top NBA rookies, the RPA cards showcase oversized swatches and on-card autographs.
Parallels: Gold FOTL #/24, Gold #/10, Purple FOTL #/8, Emerald #/5, Blue FOTL #/3, Logoman 1/1
Buy on eBay
2. 2020–21 PANINI SELECT LAMELO BALL COURTSIDE RC #298
- Select makes its return to the hardwood for the 2020–21 NBA Season with a fully loaded lineup of rookies and parallel content!
- Collect all three tiers of the base set, along with various Prizm parallels for each level! (Concourse, Premier Level and Courtside)
Besides the different designs, the Prizms parallels for each tier is also slightly different. Here’s how they break down in hobby.
Buy on eBay
3. 2020–21 SELECT FOTL LAMELO BALL PREMIER LEVEL RC #183
2020–21 Panini Select Basketball is bold. It’s colorful and shiny. It’s also going to give basketball collectors another chance at more chrome.
Hobby boxes have three total autographs and memorabilia cards. There’s also an average of one Prizm parallel per pack, which is where a lot of the color comes into play.
FOTL boxes offer exclusive Neon Orange Pulsar (#/15), Neon Purple Pulsar (#/5) and Black Snakeskin (1/1) Prizms editions.
4. 2020–21 PANINI PRIZM LAMELO BALL #278
This is without a doubt the flagship LaMelo Ball rookie card. A lot of Collector’s may not be aware that the most recognized brand — Prizm, came as an extension to the legendary Topps Chrome collection.
We know what you’re thinking… “how do they have Prizm behind Select in the LaMelo Ball rooklie card rankings?” And it makes for great argument as welll, as many still view Panini Prizm as “the brand” when it comes to rookie cards and basketball cards in general.
However due to Prizm’s increasingly large print runs, Select Basketball parallels have surpassed Prizm parallels in value since 2018.
Obviously it depends on the rarity of the parallel, a Mojo or Black Gold would be more valuable than a Select Tye Die /25, but parallel for parallel, Select reigns supreme for the first time in our rookie card rankings.
5. 2020–21 PANINI CROWN ROYALE LAMELO BALL KABOOM! RC #23
6. 2020–21 Panini Spectra LaMelo Ball RC #215 Autograph Jersey #/99
7. 2020–21 CROWN ROYALE LAMELO BALL RC#104 RPA
2020–21 Crown Royale Basketball also offers the autographed LaMelo Ball rookies as redemptions. This includes his base Rookie Silhouettes card, as well as the die-cut Rookie Crown Autographs (#/99).
8. 2020–21 Panini Contenders LaMelo Ball RC Autograph #125 (Redemption)
The 2020–21 Panini Contenders LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards comes with the familiar (and popular) Rookie Ticket theme the brand is synonymous with. Well, eventually it will. The autograph is included in packs as a redemption.
Parallels: Premium Edition, Premium Edition Green Shimmer, Rookie Clear Ticket, Playoff Ticket (/99), The Finals Ticket (/49), Cracked Ice Ticket (/25), Premium Edition Blue Shimmer (/20), Premium Edition Gold (/10), Premium Edition Red Shimmer (/5), Ticket Stub (/2), Championship Ticket (1/1), Premium Edition Gold Shimmer (1/1), Premium Edition Gold Vinyl (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
9. 2020 LaMelo Ball Panini Flawless RPA RC #84
Panini Flawless is one of the luxurious sets around and a favorite among high-end collectors. The cards arrive in a briefcase and the briefcase only contains a few cards.
If you’re looking to shell out some major cash for a LaMelo card, this is your best bet as it has the jersey patch as well as the autograph on top of the Panini Flawless branding. Overall, an amazing card that will act as a grail for many collectors.
LaMelo Ball rookie card Flawless Collegiate base and parallels
Within this high-end product, the base cards are numbered to 15, and there is a gold and platinum parallel numbered to 15 and 1, respectively.
There are a series of available memorabilia as well made up of patches and autographs.
Here is a summarized listing of the most collectible cards:
- Base: #/15
- Base Gold: #/15
- Base Platinum: #/1
When it comes to patches, here’s how the numbering breaks out:
- Patches: #/20
- Patches Gold: #/10
- Patches Platinum: #/1
- Dual Patches: #/20
- Dual Patches Gold: #/10
- Dual Patches Platinum: #/1
- Horizontal Patch Auto: #/20
- Horizontal Patch Gold: #/10
- Horizontal Patch Platinum: #/1
And for autographs:
- Rookie Autographs: #/20
- Rookie Autographs Gold: #/10
- Rookie Autographs Platinum: #/1
- Rookie Diamond Signatures: #/10
- Rookie Diamond Signatures Gold: #/5
- Rookie Diamond Signatures Platinum: #/1
10. 2020–21 Panini Immaculate Collection Collegiate — Premium Patches Rookie Autographs #PPA-LB
Immaculate Collegiate follows up the Flawless Collegiate product as one of Panini’s premium products.
While the presentation is not as luxurious as the Flawless briefcase, it comes in a tin box with foam protection. The card stock is thick and this product focuses heavily on autographs and patches.
LaMelo Ball rookie card Immaculate College base and parallels
The base and parallels offered in this product are numbered as follows:
- Base: #/49
- Base Gold: #/20
- Base Green: #/5
- Base Platinum: #/1
LaMelo Ball rookie card Immaculate College autographs
The autographs in this product are often two-for-one or even four-for-one, so LaMelo’s auto will come with other players as well. His dual autographs are numbered as follows, and are paired with Anthony Edwards:
- Immaculate Dual Autographs: #/25
- Immaculate Dual Autographs Gold: #/10
- Immaculate Dual Autographs Platinum: #/1
His quad autos are with Edwards, James Wiseman, and Obi Toppin, and are numbered just the same.
11. 2020 LaMelo Ball Panini Prizm Downtown RC #D2
This card has a very interesting design and is from the Panini Prizm Downtown subset which is quite popular with collectors.
It shows a few different animals behind the image of Ball and has the Downtown road sign in the top-right corner. Ball is considered an international player as that is what is listed below his name.
Another good option with an interesting design that is sure to catch the eye of many collectors.
Check prices on eBay
12. 2020 LaMelo Ball NBA Hoops Arriving Now RC #15
The 2020–21 LaMelo Ball NBA Hoops Arriving Now RC #15 is an insert. The Arriving Now set is a designation awarded to only 25 of the top-performing rookies in this NBA season. Of course, LaMelo Ball tops that list of outstanding performers.
The set was released on February 3, 2021. The card comes in Holo, Winter, and Winter Holo versions. Featuring the same image as the NBA Hoops base card, the Arriving Now version swaps the low-key background for a vibrant — and in some cases holographic — backdrop.
A train tunnel-like design frames the image of Ball while a barcode, square airplane icon, and stylized nameplate are also present. Base and parallel Arriving Now cards are available on eBay. Prices are among the lower-tier of offerings for LaMelo Ball RCs, making them an accessible option for all traders and collectors.
Parallels: Winter, Winter Holo, Holo.
THE TOP LAMELO BALL BASE ROOKIE CARDS
This list only includes base cards with the RC tag in the Beckett database. Inserts and parallels are not included in this section as many were Featured in the most valuable LaMelo inserts and parallels (out released sets) above.
A full checklist of LaMelo Ball cards is available here. More cards will be added in the months ahead as new sets release.
1. 2020–21 PRIZM LAMELO BALL BASE #278
If you want the top LaMelo Ball rookie card among the unsigned base offerings, many will turn to 2020–21 Prizm Basketball.
In many regards, this is the marquee LaMelo Ball Rookie Card. It will be far from the rarest and, by the time the final sets of the season are out, it won’t be the most valuable. But given the immense popularity of Prizm, it will be a barometer against which all of Ball’s RCs will be measured.
While the base card itself is an in-demand option, things can get really intense for his low-numbered Prizms parallels.
There is also an exclusive image variation found only in certain formats.
As usual for Prizm, the parallel chase adds another layer. 2020–21 Panini Prizm Basketball has a rainbow of more than 40 colors and patterns.
Prizm Parallels: Blue Wave, Choice Blue/Yellow/Green, Choice Tiger Stripe, Fast Break, Gold Wave, Green, Green Ice, Hyper, Orange Ice, Pink Ice, Purple Wave, Red Ice, Red/White/Blue, Ruby Wave, Silver, Red (/299), Blue (/199), Fast Break Blue (/175), Purple Ice (/175), Blue Ice (/125), Fast Break Red (/125), Purple (/99), Choice Red (/88), Fast Break Purple (/75), Orange Wave (/60), Fast Break Pink (/50), Choice Blue (/49), Orange (/49), Pink Pulsar (/42), Blue Shimmer (/35), Purple Pulsar (/35), Green Pulsar (/25), Mojo (/25), Fast Break Bronze (/20), Gold (/10), Gold Shimmer (/10), Choice Green (/8), Lucky Envelopes (/8), Black Gold (/5), Fast Break Neon Green (/5), Green Shimmer (/5), Black (1/1), Black Shimmer (1/1), Choice Nebula (1)
2. 2020–21 PANINI SELECT LAMELO BALL
The base set is once again divided into three different sections, each with their own tweaked designs: Concourse, Premier Level and Courtside.
Concourse are the most common. Every hobby pack averages one card from either of the other two tiers. Premier Level are “uncommon” with ten per box while Courtside are “rare,” landing just two per box.
As usual, Select NBA features three different rookie cards in the base set. Collectors can chase the different rarity tiers as well as some elaborate Prizm parallels.
3. 2020–21 Panini Impeccable LaMelo Ball RC #98 /99
Ball is found in a couple of parts of the 2020–21 Panini Impeccable Basketball base set. His Rookie Card is the first one on the checklist. It’s a base card in the traditional sense. That said, it’s a premium set with a print run of just 99 copies. A little further down the checklist is an autographed jersey card. Because the base card is the more basic of the two, it gets the traditional RC tag.
Parallels: Asia, Silver (/75), Gold (/60), Holo Silver (/35), Holo Gold (/10), Asia Red (/8), Asia Red and Gold (1/1), Platinum (1/1)
4. 2020–21 Panini Court Kings LaMelo Ball RC
The LaMelo Ball Court Kings rookie card comes in 4 versions
Putting a graffiti style on cardboard, 2020–21 Court Kings Basketball is home to several artistic LaMelo Ball rookie cards. The tiered rookie subsets provide increasing rarity as the card number progresses.
For extreme rarity, his Blank Slate insert is very popular and valuable.
5. 2020–21 CROWN ROYALE LAMELO BALL RC #79
The Crown Royale brand finding its roots in the late 1990s as a Pacific Trading Cards brand. For a card that isn’t numbered or carry an autograph, the 2020–21 Crown Royale Basketball LaMelo Ball RC doesn’t scream high-end. But, it’s not available in nearly the same numbers as some of his more common Rookies.
Parallels: Asia Gold, Asia Red, Crystal, Blue Crystal (/99), Red Crystal (/49), Purple Crystal (/25), Green Crystal (/21), Gold Crystal (/10), Lucky Envelopes (/8), Black Crystal (/4), Platinum Crystal (1/1)
Check prices on Ebay
6. 2020–21 Panini Origins LaMelo Ball RC #73
For collectors looking for something elegant and abstract in a LaMelo Ball Rookie Card, there’s 2020–21 Panini Origins. Although autographs get a lot of the attention in the set, the base cards are some of the year’s most distinct. The card also has a variation version with the guard in a light blue uniform.
Parallels: Red, Blue (/99), Orange (/75), Pink (/60), Turquoise (/25), Purple (/21), Gold (/10), Green (/5), Black (1/1)
7. 2020–21 Revolution LaMelo Ball Rookie Card #140
The 2020–21 Revolution LaMelo Ball Rookie Card is for collectors who are looking for a bold look over an autograph or something rare. The patterned backgrounds are the cornerstones of the brand. For Ball’s parallels, things incorporate a variety of shapes and effects rather than the typical colors.
Parallels: Astro, Chinese New Year, Fractal, Galactic, Groove, Holo Silver Asia, Red Asia, Impact (/149), Cosmic (/100), Emerald Chinese New Year (/88), Sunburst (/75), Cubic (/50), Lava (/10), Holo Gold Chinese New Year (/8), Holo Gold Asia (1/1)
8. 2020–21 Donruss LaMelo Ball Rookie Card #202
Boasting the Rated Rookie seal of approval and coming from a well known flagship-style line, this is one of the key LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards among the year’s early releases. Similar to Hoops and Prizm, the print run doesn’t matter as much — as Donruss has a fairly wide appeal, brand recognition and notoriety.
The price point compared to some of the higher-end brand makes this card affordable and a popular option for the younger collectors and those not looking to spend a fortune in adding a key rookie card to their collections.
Parallels: Choice, Green Flood, Holo Green Laser, Holo Green and Yellow Laser, Holo Light Blue Laser, Holo Orange Laser, Holo Red and Gold Laser, Yellow Flood, Press Proof Silver (/349), Press Proof Purple (/199), Choice Red (/99), Holo Purple Laser (/99), Choice Blue (/49), Holo Blue Laser (/49), Holo Yellow Laser (/25), Holo Red and Blue Laser (/15), Choice Gold (/10), Holo Gold Laser (/10), Choice Black Gold (/8), Choice Black (1/1), Holo Black Laser (1/1)
9. 2020–21 Clearly Donruss Rated Rookie LaMelo Ball RC #87
The 2020–21 Clearly Donruss rookie is another Rated Rookie choice, but the main appeal here is the acetate design.
10. 2020–21 Absolute Memorabilia LaMelo Ball RC #12
A lot of the focus in 2020–21 Absolute Memorabilia is autographs and, obviously, memorabilia. Ball has both of those on the checklist, but there’s also this foil base card. Although not numbered, don’t expect to find it in too much bulk as the product doesn’t have a lot of base cards per box.
Parallels: Dollar Tree, Red (/199), Blue (/99), Orange (/75), Teal (/49), Purple (/25), Gold (/10), Green (/5), Black (1/1)
Buy on: eBay
11. 2020–21 Certified LaMelo Ball Rookie Card #198
2020–21 Certified Basketball offers a foil take on Ball. It’s not an extremely high-end card, but the shiny stock gives it a little flair. It’s among the Mirror parallels where things really start to pop.
Parallels: Mirror Blue, Mirror Red, Mirror Orange (/99), Mirror Camo (/25), Mirror Gold (/10), Mirror Green (/5), Mirror Black (1/1)
12. 2020–21 Hoops LaMelo Ball Rookie Card #223
2020–21 Hoops has the distinction of delivering the first LaMelo Ball Rookie Card to the masses. Although the set arrived later than usual after the season was pushed back, it still helped kick off a new collecting year.
NBA Hoops has plenty of history, many of us remember the brand fondly when we first behan colecting cards as kids or teenagers in the 90’s. It’s wide availability also helps its recognition — not to mention brings several exclusive parallels for those chasing the rainbow.
Parallels: Blue, Hyper Blue, Neon Green, Purple, Purple Explosion, Purple Winter, Red Backs, Teal Explosion, Winter, Yellow, Premium Box Set (/199), Silver (/199), Green (/99), Hyper Red (/99), Green Explosion (/89), Red (/75), Teal (/70), Blue Explosion (/59), Artist Proof (/25), Hyper Green (/25), Orange (/25), Orange Explosion (/25), Red Explosion (/15), Artist Proof Gold (/10), Hyper Gold (/10), Artist Proof Black (1/1)
13. LaMelo Ball rookie card: Panini Prizm Draft Picks RC #3
This product is a tease at Panini’s most anticipated product of the year — Prizm. A sister product of the typical Prizm product, it features all of the familiar shine and foil as the real deal, but just applied to incoming draft picks in their collegiate jerseys.
These cards will probably hold a little bit less value than the Prizm cards of rookies in their NBA jerseys, but they’re still exciting to have available.
When it comes to LaMelo Ball rookie cards, it’s hard to find cards that are reasonably priced yet may find some sort of decent appreciation in the future. The Panini Prizm Draft Picks base card goes for anywhere between $10–20 ungraded, and graded cards have not yet populated, but those will likely be $70–150 depending on the PSA grade.
It’s a good buy for LaMelo Ball fans who want to add to their collection without breaking the bank. Collectors can find it on eBay.
14. LaMelo Ball Panini Prizm Crusade Rookie Card #83
Another affordable option from the Prizm Draft Picks product when it comes to LaMelo Ball rookie cards is the Crusade #83. Collectors can find it here.
LAMELO BALL ROOKIE CARD INVESTMENT OUTLOOK
If you’re looking for a tangible asset to invest your hard-earned bucks in, you could do far worse than a LaMelo Ball rookie card. As the young superstar’s stock rises, so will the value of your RC. That’s the idea, at least.
LAMELO BALL ROOKIE CARD INVESTMENT OUTLOOK
Investment Rating: Strong Long-Term Buy (4.7 out of 5)
Ownership Disclosure: Several. Most notably Select & Prizm silver & parallel rookie cards.
We’ve presented a few options of varying price points, visual styles, and rarities. Take your pick. With LaMelo’s professional outlook on a vertical upward trajectory, can you go wrong?
