Panini has long been known for its chrome-based cards, with Prizm being the most popular brand. But while those sets are often in demand by NBA card collectors, there are other non-chrome products that deserve recognition as well. One of these is, without a doubt, the latest Court Kings for the 2021-22 season.
We take a look below at Panini’s upcoming Court Kings set, which features the latest rookies, and which basketball cards collectors should look out for.
Panini Court Kings NBA rookie cards
Without a doubt, this Panini product offers some of the most beautiful rookie cards in the market for the past few years. The latest edition is no different as it masterfully blends an eye-catching design with the profile of today’s most promising players.
Similar to past editions, Panini’s Court Kings offers four levels of rookie cards with Level 1 being the most common and Level 4 as the most valuable. The former features a montage of scenes in the background with the rookie’s profile front and center.
Meanwhile, Level 2 takes the design dial up a notch, thanks to a splash of color on it.
Level 3, for its part, boasts a sleeker design that has a dominant black and gray look.
Finally, Level 4 is a cleaner version of Level 1 with an artistic touch to it. Rookie cards from this tier are harder to pull, making them more valuable in the NBA card market. In any case, Panini Court Kings rookie cards, from the first level to the last, all look good. Once they hit the market, expect a lot of demand to hit during the first few days or so.
Panini Court Kings inserts
Apart from its rookie cards, Panini Court Kings offers a wide array of beautiful inserts. In years past, NBA card collectors have longed to pull short-print cards from this set, such as Aurora and Le Cinque Piu Belle. The latest edition breathes new life into these inserts, which is sure to be a hit in the coming weeks.
This year’s edition of Aurora is certainly a different one from years past. Instead of continuing with a cleaner look, the company opted to go for a design that uses more lines and curves in it. Nevertheless, the card’s short print run featuring the best stars and rookies will surely catapult this set’s price in the hobby.
Le Cinque Piu Belle, another crowd-favorite insert from Panini’s Court Kings set, looks similar to its past editions. The phrase itself, which means The Five Most Beautiful in Italian, features an NBA star encased within a frame amidst a colorful painted background. Much like Aurora, this insert’s print run is very limited, which helps it become more valuable.
New to Court Kings is its State of the Art insert, which features an abstract card design. The key detail here is that the outline bordering the player is shaped to the state he’s playing for. In the example above, Luka Doncic’s profile is encased within a shape of Texas, the home state of the Dallas Mavericks.
Panini Court Kings autos
Apart from the rookie cards and inserts, Panini’s latest Court Kings set is the ideal choice for collectors who want to pull a good-looking auto or two. Both hobby and retail formats boast several sets, which include Fresh Paint, Heir Apparent, Brush Strokes, Holding Court Signatures, and Legacy Portrait Signatures.
Most of these signed pieces of memorabilia come with a stickered auto while those that are signed on-card will certainly be the more preferred option by collectors. In any case, those interested to snag this Panini product won’t have to wait for long. The company has scheduled its release for May 4, with hobby boxes set to hit the market first.
Each hobby box will contain a pack of 10 cards, including hobby-exclusive inserts and autos. Meanwhile, blaster boxes are available for retail with each one containing six packs with six cards inside. In any case, both of these formats will give NBA card collectors a good bang for their buck once this product comes out.
