NBA basketball cards: 5 incredible rookies still worth adding to your collection

1) 2019 rookie NBA basketball cards worth collecting: Rui Hachimura, Wizards

Rui Hachimura was selected ninth by the Washington Wizards in 2019 and it sort of feels like the casual NBA fans forgot about him almost instantly. The Gonzaga alum and Japanese native was compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo by some pre-draft analysts which was probably a very high-ceiling likening.

In his rookie year, Hachimura logged 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. His shooting was pretty rough and there are some clear things he needs to improve upon, but to me it still feels like he has star potential.

Bake in the fact that Hachimura is a global icon and has a massive following from Japan, and I think there’s some market factor to consider here in addition to his play.

This PSA-9 base Prizm went for less than $35. PSA-10 Prizms go for a pretty hefty penny but PSA-10s of his NBA Hoops and DonRuss Rated Rookie rookie card have gone from $30-50 lately.

Hachimura slightly edges out Okeke for me right now because I think he has more star power given his appeal to global audiences (as well as some rabid Gonzaga followers). Okeke has a very even-keeled, quiet personality, and as we’ve seen with players like Kawhi Leonard, it takes a lot of direct on-court success to be able to market that to the casual NBA fanbase.

Rui Hachimura rookie card: Here are the current offerings on eBay