LeBron James’ cards have always been a hot commodity among NBA collectors. As he has now passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time career points record, is it possible that his cards will see an even bigger bump in value?

Card Values on the Rise

According to Sports Card Investor’s Market Movers, the average James graded card has risen 14% over the last 60 days. The 2003 Topps cards and their variants have seen the biggest increase in value. The base card in a PSA 10 is now selling for $2,500, up 30% in the last two months. The chrome version has surpassed $8,000, up 40% over the same period.

Record Breaking Value…but is it Sustainable?

While the recent spike in James’ card values is impressive, it’s questionable whether the rise is sustainable. Sports Card Investor founder Geoff Wilson says that when Steph Curry set the all-time three-point record in December 2021, his cards also spiked but rapidly lost 25% of their value within 30 days.

The Market’s Perception of LeBron James Cards

Collector and investor Darren Herman believes that the market has already priced in the expected bump in James’ card values. He says that James’ absence from the playoffs this season won’t be a primary factor in affecting his cards’ values because he has already done enough. Jon The Basketball Card Guy, on the other hand, believes that middle of the road LeBron cards will see the biggest percentage rise.

LeBron’s Market Recovery

LeBron James’ market took a dip to start the season. However, things have trended back up as he closes in on the all-time scoring record. His PSA 10s tracked by Market Movers are up 7% collectively over the last 30 days. His key 2003 Topps Base PSA 10 and 2003 Topps Chrome Base PSA 10 being major drivers. Narrowing the scope to only rookies over the last 30 days shows even more positive growth, with a 9% bump.

Topps Rookies on the Rise

LeBron’s pursuit of the all-time NBA scoring title has been a major storyline this season, and it’s reflected in his key Topps rookies. His 2003 Topps Base PSA 10 has jumped $450 in price and is now trending over $2,300. His 2003 Topps Chrome Base PSA 10 has recently seen a new sale bring the average price up to over $8,500.

With James closing in on the all-time scoring record and his cards already so expensive, any major movement in their value should be considered impressive. Whether the recent rise in value is sustainable remains to be seen. For now, though, LeBron James remains the king of basketball cards.

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