Account
Basketball Cards: Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and the Loaded 1996-97 Rookie Card Class
February 6, 2023Basketball Cards: Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and the Loaded 1996-97 Rookie Card Class
Sports card collecting has exploded in recent years, with many 1990s kids getting back into the hobby after some time away, as well as a whole new wave of collectors diving in for the first time.
As a child of the '90s myself, the first time I truly remember ripping packs of basketball cards and chasing rookies was during the 1996-97 season, and that was a great year to be buying cards.
In hindsight, the 1996 draft class is one of the best in NBA history. The class is headlined by Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but they were far from the only stars to burst onto the scene that year.
Ahead, we've taken a look back at all the notable names from the 1996 draft class, complete with a rundown of all of their rookie cards, ranked based on their current value.
Enjoy this trip down memory lane!
Kobe Bryant
Originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 13 overall pick in the 1996 draft, Kobe Bryant was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a one-for-one deal for Vlade Divac on July 11, 1996.
One of the first modern players to make the jump to the NBA straight from high school after Kevin Garnett paved the way the previous year, Bryant played just 15.5 minutes per game as a rookie and averaged 7.6 points, but his vast potential was clear from the start.
Despite his limited action, the hype was real, and he was as sought after as anyone outside of No. 1 overall pick Allen Iverson when 1996-97 products first dropped.
Now his rookie cards are among the most valuable of the 1990s, and PSA 10 versions of his Topps Chrome rookie regularly sell for thousands of dollars.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #138
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #30
3. 1996-97 Topps #138
4. 1996-97 Finest #74
5. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #31
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R23
7. 1996-97 Metal #137
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #55
9. 1996-97 Ultra #52
10. 1996-97 SP #134
11. 1996-97 UD3 #19
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #142
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #58
14. 1996-97 Hoops #281
15. 1996-97 Fleer #203
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #267
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft after averaging 25.0 points, 4.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game during his sophomore season for a Georgetown team that reached the Elite Eight.
He was an instant star, averaging 23.5 points and 7.5 assists to win 1996-97 Rookie of the Year honors. Three years later, he made the first of what would be 11 straight All-Star Game appearances on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
The 6'0" guard ranks among the NBA's all-time leaders in points (24,368, 26th) and points per game (26.7, seventh), and he added four scoring titles and an MVP award to his impressive resume.
While his values don't come close to Kobe Bryant, his enduring popularity has made him the clear No. 2 player in this stacked rookie card class.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #171
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #53
3. 1996-97 Topps #171
4. 1996-97 Finest #69
5. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #3
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R1
7. 1996-97 Metal #201
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #85
9. 1996-97 Ultra #82
10. 1996-97 SP #141
11. 1996-97 UD3 #14
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #151
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #91
14. 1996-97 Hoops #295
15. 1996-97 Fleer #235
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #301
Steve Nash
Steve Nash was the No. 15 overall pick in the 1996 draft after making a name for himself at mid-major Santa Clara and winning back-to-back West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior.
He spent his first two seasons backing up Jason Kidd in Phoenix before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for three players and a future first-round pick that wound up being Shawn Marion.
It took him several years to finally develop into a legitimate impact player, but at his peak, he was one of the best point guards in NBA history, winning five assist titles and taking home back-to-back MVP honors during the 2004-05 (15.5 PPG, 11.5 APG) and 2005-06 (18.8 PPG, 10.5 APG) seasons in his second go-around with the Suns.
His lack of initial impact made him the player collectors were digging for through old commons boxes they had tucked away once he finally broke out and saw his hobby stock soar.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #182
2. 1996-97 Topps #182
3. 1996-97 Finest #75
4. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R18
5. 1996-97 Metal #138
6. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #91
7. 1996-97 Ultra #87
8. 1996-97 SP #142
9. 1996-97 UD3 #15
10. 1996-97 Z-Force #158
11. 1996-97 Upper Deck #280
12. 1996-97 Hoops #304
13. 1996-97 Fleer #239
14. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #310
Ben Wallace
While many of the players on this list were lottery picks with impressive college pedigrees, Ben Wallace took a more circuitous path to NBA success.
The undersized 6'9" center went undrafted in 1996 after playing his college ball at Virginia Union, but he caught on with the Washington Bullets in a bench role.
After three seasons with Washington and one with the Orlando Magic, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that sent Grant Hill the other way, and it was there that he emerged as one of the best defensive players of his era.
Wallace went on to win Defensive Player of the Year honors four times. He ranks in the top 100 all-time in rebounds (10,482, 38th), blocks (2,137, 14th) and steals (1,369, T-66th) and is still the only undrafted player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Since he went undrafted, he did not make it into most 1996-97 products, though a handful of sets did include him on their Series 2 checklist.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #236
2. 1996-97 Ultra #263
3. 1996-97 Z-Force #165
4. 1996-97 Hoops #314
5. 1996-97 Fleer #268
Ray Allen
Ray Allen averaged 23.4 points and shot 46.6 percent from beyond the arc during his junior season on a UConn team that finished 32-3 but made a Sweet 16 exit in the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him with the No. 5 overall pick but traded him on draft night, along with a future first-round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for No. 4 overall pick Stephon Marbury.
The sharp-shooter stepped right into the starting lineup on a Bucks team that won just 25 games the previous season, averaging 13.4 points as the third scoring option alongside Glenn Robinson and Vin Baker.
He would go on to play 18 NBA seasons, earning 10 All-Star selections along the way while pouring in 2,973 three-pointers to rank second on the all-time list. His card values don't quite reflect his Hall of Fame status, and he remains one of the more underrated players in the hobby.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #217
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #37
3. 1996-97 Topps #217
4. 1996-97 Finest #22
5. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #35
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R5
7. 1996-97 Metal #136
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #63
9. 1996-97 Ultra #60
10. 1996-97 SP #136
11. 1996-97 UD3 #5
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #140
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #69
14. 1996-97 Hoops #279
15. 1996-97 Fleer #212
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #278
Stephon Marbury
One season at Georgia Tech was all it took for Stephon Marbury to establish himself as one of the top prospects in the 1996 draft class. The 6'2" guard averaged 18.9 points and 4.5 assists to lead the Yellow Jackets to an ACC title and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
He spent two-and-a-half seasons playing alongside a young Kevin Garnett to form one of the most exciting young duos in basketball, earning All-Rookie honors during the 1996-97 season with 15.8 points and 7.8 assists per game.
After his brief but memorable time in Minnesota, he enjoyed successful stints with the New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, earning a pair of All-Star selections and averaging more than 20 points per game seven different times.
He closed out his pro career with a nine-year run in China, and he remains one of the more popular second-tier stars of his era with a value roughly in line with Ray Allen, despite a less storied career resume.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #177
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #42
3. 1996-97 Topps #177
4. 1996-97 Finest #62
5. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #11
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R2
7. 1996-97 Metal #134
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #69
9. 1996-97 Ultra #66
10. 1996-97 SP #137
11. 1996-97 UD3 #2
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #156
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #74
14. 1996-97 Hoops #300
15. 1996-97 Fleer #219
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #281
Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker averaged 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game on a Kentucky Wildcats team that won the 1996 NCAA tournament and also featured future first-round picks Tony Delk (No. 16 in 1996), Walter McCarty (No. 19 in 1996), Ron Mercer (No. 6 in 1997), Derek Anderson (No. 13 in 1997) and Nazr Mohammed (No. 29 in 1998).
Walker led the Boston Celtics in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (9.0) as a rookie and was an All-Star for the first time in his second year in the league when he tallied 22.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. All told, he averaged 20.8 points and 8.7 rebounds over his first seven years in the NBA before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he took on more of a supporting role.
Later in his career, he won an NBA title with the Miami Heat in 2006, and he retired following his age-31 season with career averages of 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in 12 seasons.
His card values have dropped since his peak as a three-time All-Star in Boston, and most of his rookie can be picked up for a buck or two today.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #146
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #4
3. 1996-97 Topps #146
4. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #26
5. 1996-97 Finest #84
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R6
7. 1996-97 Metal #153
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #9
9. 1996-97 Ultra #9
10. 1996-97 SP #127
11. 1996-97 UD3 #6
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #163
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #187
14. 1996-97 Hoops #312
15. 1996-97 Fleer #157
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #211
Jermaine O'Neal
Much of the prep-to-pro hype understandably surrounded Kobe Bryant heading into the 1996 draft, but Jermaine O'Neal also made the leap straight to the NBA from high school when he was selected No. 17 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 6'11" forward played 11.5 minutes per game and averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in four seasons in Portland before he was traded to the Indiana Pacers, who gave him a chance to start and watched his career take off.
After a solid debut season in Indiana with an expanded role, he became a focal point of the team and ripped off six straight All-Star appearances starting with the 2001-02 season. During that span, he averaged 20.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
Another player who never quite found significant hobby relevance, his rookie cards are extremely affordable relative to an often underrated NBA career.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #191
2. 1996-97 Topps #191
3. 1996-97 Finest #31
4. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R20
5. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #94
6. 1996-97 Ultra #89
7. 1996-97 SP #143
8. 1996-97 UD3 #3
9. 1996-97 Z-Force #159
10. 1996-97 Upper Deck #284
11. 1996-97 Hoops #306
12. 1996-97 Fleer #242
13. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #315
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim is arguably the best player in Vancouver Grizzlies history—the team spent six years north of the border before moving to Memphis—and he was the franchise's second-ever first-round pick following center Bryant Reeves, who was taken No. 6 overall in 1995.
Abdur-Rahim was the No. 3 pick in his draft class following a one-and-done freshman season at UC Berkeley, where he averaged 21.1 points and 8.4 rebounds.
Over the first seven seasons of his career, he was a double-double machine, averaging 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds while starring for the Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks.
He never played in a major market, which hurt his hobby appeal, and his career was relatively short, with his final NBA season coming in his age-31 campaign, but he stands as a forgotten star of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #128
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #76
3. 1996-97 Topps #128
4. 1996-97 Finest #54
5. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #29
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R3
7. 1996-97 Metal #135
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #122
9. 1996-97 Ultra #116
10. 1996-97 SP #145
11. 1996-97 UD3 #4
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #139
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #129
14. 1996-97 Hoops #278
15. 1996-97 Fleer #262
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #346
Marcus Camby
At a time when dominant centers still ruled the league, Marcus Camby was viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone for the fledgling Toronto Raptors following a storied career at the University of Massachusetts.
He won the Naismith Award and Wooden Award during his junior season, averaging 20.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.9 blocks for a UMass team that finished 35-2 and lost to Kentucky in the Final Four.
He never developed into a superstar but settled in nicely as one of the league's best rim protectors and a steady secondary scoring option. He averaged 9.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in a 17-year career, earning All-Defensive Team honors four times and ranking 12th on the all-time list with 2,331 career blocks.
His cards were a hot commodity when 1996-97 products first hit the shelves, but most of his rookies can now be found for pocket change.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #161
2. 1996-97 E-X2000 #70
3. 1996-97 Topps #161
4. 1996-97 Finest #82
5. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 #49
6. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R4
7. 1996-97 Metal #215
8. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #113
9. 1996-97 Ultra #107
10. 1996-97 SP #144
11. 1996-97 UD3 #11
12. 1996-97 Z-Force #143
13. 1996-97 Upper Deck #118
14. 1996-97 Hoops #282
15. 1996-97 Fleer #254
16. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #339
Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher was a four-year starter at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, taking home Sun Belt Player of the Year honors as a senior when he averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the No. 24 overall pick in the 1996 draft to serve as the backup to starting point guard Nick Van Exel, and he eventually played his way into a starting role.
He went on to win five NBA titles with the Lakers over the course of an 18-year career, averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 assists and 2.1 rebounds for his career while finishing 25th all-time with 1,287 career games played.
The enduring popularity of the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal teams in Los Angeles has helped drive interest in his cards, but they are all still extremely affordable.
Rookie Card Rankings
1. 1996-97 Topps Chrome #206
2. 1996-97 Topps #206
3. 1996-97 Finest #43
4. 1996-97 Bowman's Best #R15
5. 1996-97 SkyBox Premium #209
6. 1996-97 Ultra #202
7. 1996-97 SP #135
8. 1996-97 UD3 #16
9. 1996-97 Upper Deck #238
10. 1996-97 Hoops #287
11. 1996-97 Fleer #204
12. 1996-97 Collector's Choice #269
Other Notable 1996-97 Rookie Cards
Darvin Ham
The current head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers caught on with the Denver Nuggets as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech during the 1996-97 season. Ham has four rookie cards, appearing in the 1996-97 Fleer, Hoops, SkyBox Premium and Z-Force sets.
Mark Hendrickson
Hendrickson pitched 1,169 innings in the big leagues with the Rays, Orioles, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Marlins, but before he started his baseball career, he played four NBA seasons. The 6'9" forward was the No. 31 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and he averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 114 games. His only pro basketball card is in the 1996-97 Hoops set.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Big Z spent the 1996-97 season watching from the sidelines while dealing with a foot injury, and the No. 20 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft was not included in the vast majority of sets that year as a result. His lone rookie card is in the 1996-97 Bowman's Best set.
Not Included: Peja Stojaković
Stojaković was part of the 1996 draft class, going No. 14 overall to the Sacramento Kings, but he was a draft-and-stash at the time and did not make his way stateside until two years later. As a result, his rookie cards appear in 1998-99 products.
All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference, while card values come via 130point.com and reflect recent eBay sales data.