Karl-Anthony Towns’ Topps Yamamoto 1/1 Hits Fanatics Auctions

When Wayne Gretzky bought the T206 Honus Wagner in the 1990s, it did more than break a record. It changed how people viewed trading cards and helped place the hobby alongside art, watches and other premium collectibles. For the first time, cardboard felt exclusive, culturally important and worthy of serious attention.

Collecting has continued to evolve, and athletes are becoming true hobbyists. Many now rip, grade, trade and build collections with the same passion as core collectors. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James keep their own grail cards, treating them as personal pieces. Derek Jeter is shaping innovation through Arena Club, and Tom Brady is opening card shops while immersing himself in the community. Athlete engagement today is deeper, more authentic and directly connected to how collectors experience the hobby.

Karl-Anthony Towns fits naturally into this moment. Earlier this season, he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 15,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 1,000 made threes. Away from the court, he has become a genuine presence in the hobby, approaching collecting with the same curiosity and excitement as longtime hobbyists.

For Towns, it began with breaks.

“The excitement of seeing which cards are revealed, with the hopes of pulling a rare or valuable card, is the rush for me,” he says.

As he collected more, the process became personal.

“I have amassed a pretty great collection of cards of past and current NBA players and other professional athletes,” Towns says. “It’s always fun when you pull cards of players you admire, and over time I have collected the cards of so many friends and teammates.”

He also loves set building, a detail only committed collectors talk about.

“The challenge and satisfaction of completing a full set of cards is what excites me the most, and the pursuit of that elusive card is a major rush. Being part of a community of friends and other collectors who are like-minded and passionate is a big part of the experience for me personally.”

That leads to his newest move. Towns is putting one of his biggest pulls—a 2024 Topps Inception Yoshinobu Yamamoto MLB Logo Patch Auto 1/1 graded PSA 10—into the open market. In today’s hobby, rotating a premium card is no different from rotating a sneaker grail or a watch. It is simply part of how collectors participate.

“The Fanatics Auction is great for a collector because you know their memorabilia is exclusive and authentic,” he says. “There is a historical significance to some of the items, and that is key for me.”

Towns’ Yamamoto 1/1 entering the market reflects how athletes are becoming true hobbyists who rip, trade, grade and chase the same way everyday collectors do. As more players follow this path, the athlete-hobbyist era will only expand, bringing new access, cultural relevance and provenance to the hobby.

Auction Details Karl-Anthony Towns’ personally pulled 2024 Topps Inception Yoshinobu Yamamoto MLB Logo Patch Auto 1/1 (PSA 10) - Ends: Monday, November 25 at 10:00 PM ET (extended bidding applies)