5. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is the first player over 30 with a Silver Prizm rookie on the list, and his card is unquestionably one of the top five. The 2012 season marked the inaugural Prizm release, which has since become the most iconic product in the brand’s history. Additionally, Silver Prizms from this set are extremely rare. To date, only 65 total examples of Anthony Davis’ Silver Prizm rookie have been graded by PSA, and only 27 have been designated a 10.
The unique parallel count for the 2012 Prizm product is much more limited compared to any other release. There are just three parallels outside of the base card (Silver, Green, and Gold).
Given the extremely limited number of 2012 Prizm Kyrie Irving cards, his Silver stands as one of the best ever created. The biggest limiting factor is his résumé/reputation in the league. He is one of the most polarizing and exciting players in the game today, but he currently only has one ring and is unlikely to become a top 25 NBA player of all time. This doesn’t mean Kyrie has had a disappointing or poor career, but collectors tend to gravitate toward the very best players of all time once they retire, in addition to new/exciting prospects. Unfortunately, Irving falls somewhere in the middle of these two ends of the spectrum. His résumé will likely limit him from rising higher on the list, but it is not impossible!
4. Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis’ case for being this high on the list is similar to Kyrie’s in many ways. The biggest reason AD ranks so highly on this list is that, like Kyrie, he was a rookie in 2012.
As mentioned above, 2012 Prizm was the inaugural release and has gone on to become the most iconic product in the brand’s history. As of this writing, only 105 total examples of Anthony Davis’ Silver Prizm rookie have been graded by PSA, and only 33 have been designated a 10.
With just three parallels outside of the base card, Anthony Davis’ Silver Prizm rookie stands as one of the best ever created. Unfortunately, like Kyrie, AD’s résumé is a limiting factor. He is one of the greatest power forwards to ever play, but only having one ring, along with a lack of individual achievements, hurts his case. It’s not out of the question that Davis rises higher on this list, but it would take a heroic effort.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis’ Silver Prizm rookie is indisputably one of the three greatest Silver Prizm rookies ever created. The 2013 Prizm basketball release featured 13 unique parallels. While this number is much larger than the introductory 2012 release, it is still more manageable compared to the subsequent Prizm releases. To date, just 200 examples of Giannis’ Silver Prizm rookie have been graded by PSA, with 85 earning a 10.
While the 2013 Prizm release is not as iconic or rare as 2012, the star power of Giannis more than makes up for it. Unlike the previous two players on this list (Kyrie and AD), Giannis has won a title as the unquestioned leader of his team. In addition, Giannis possesses a treasure trove of individual accolades such as two MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as eight All-NBA appearances (and counting).
It would be tough to rank Giannis’ Silver Prizm rookie any lower than third on this list. The 2013 release is one of the most limited in the brand’s history, and when you couple that with his incredible résumé, it’s a must-have rookie for any Bucks fan or Prizm collector. Additionally, a relatively low value given the population makes the Greek Freak’s Silver Prizm rookie an intriguing investment opportunity.
2. Kawhi Leonard
Another 2012 NBA draftee, Kawhi Leonard, makes the list, and you could argue that his Silver Prizm rookie is the best in the brand’s storied history. As previously mentioned, there are only three unique parallels for 2012 Prizm cards, with Silver being the most traded. PSA has graded only 91 copies of Kawhi’s Silver Prizm rookie, and just 44 have gemmed.
The actual card profile for Kawhi’s Silver Prizm rookie looks almost the same as it does for Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, but it’s the résumé that sets him apart. Unlike Kawhi’s 2012 counterparts, he has led a team to a title win in addition to earning two Finals MVP awards (an accomplishment no other player on this list can claim).
When comparing the relative value of Kawhi’s Silver Prizm rookie to its overall print run, it makes all the sense in the world as a strong investment opportunity. Despite some disappointing seasons in LA, The Klaw’s legacy is cemented as a franchise-changing player, and for basketball card collectors, it doesn’t get much better than the 2012 Prizm release.
1. Nikola Jokic
The Joker’s Silver Prizm rookie takes the top spot on this list, but the case for its lofty position isn’t as straightforward as for other cards in the top five. The 2015 Prizm release featured 14 unique parallels, which is still fairly limited for Prizm, but 2015 Silver Prizm print runs are much higher than the earlier releases. Currently, PSA has graded 658 Nikola Jokic Silver Prizm rookies, and 172 of those have been given a 10. Jokic’s Silver Prizm rookie pop dwarfs the previous four players mentioned, but for Jokic, the rarity displays itself in another way.
Since Jokic was a second-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, he was viewed as an afterthought in the sports card world. This led to his exclusion from some of the biggest basketball rookie cards for prospects at the time, such as National Treasures RPAs, Flawless RPAs, and Immaculate RPAs. While Jokic still has some nice rookie patch autograph cards in products like 2015 Noir, the options are more limited compared to any other player mentioned on this list.
When you combine this rarity with Jokic’s incredible résumé as well as his ability to continue to add to it, his Silver Prizm rookie is positioned incredibly well for long-term gains. Jokic already has a title under his belt and is one of just nine players to have won the NBA MVP award three times (all before the age of 30). Given this information, you could argue that the current value of Jokic’s Silver Prizm rookie is too low compared to other players’ rookie Silver Prizms. This disparity in value is even more apparent when print runs and a lack of supplementary product are factored in.
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