LeBron James’ Most Valuable Panini Cards, But No 1/1s or Prizms Here
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As LeBron James gets closer to the end of his career and Panini prepares to wrap up its time as the NBA’s trading card partner, it’s a good time to look back at some of the most expensive LeBron cards the company has released. While most collectors immediately think of 1 of 1s or Prizms when it comes to high-end modern cards, those aren’t the focus here. This list highlights major LeBron Panini cards that have sold for serious money without being either of those.
5. 2013 Innovation Kaboom!
2013 Innovation Kaboom is the debut set for what has become the unquestioned insert of the Panini era. This card signifies LeBron's first appearance in the series and is one of just 12 PSA 10s. The set continues to rise in both value and popularity, with this LeBron recently selling for $43,200 at auction.
4. 2023 Crown Royale Kaboom! Gold
You might be starting to see a trend in this list with LeBron’s 2023 Crown Royale Gold Kaboom. This set is known for being notoriously difficult to grade because almost all the Kaboom cards were printed off-center, making an 8 the highest grade most copies could receive at PSA. This particularly sought-after card, numbered 1 of 10, sold at auction in September of 2024 for over $50,000.
3. 2015 Revolution Galactic
LeBron’s 2015 Galactic is one of his first SSP (Super Short Print) Panini parallels. High profile cards from the debut Galactic set rarely hit the open market, so when a PSA 10 LeBron does show up, it's not too surprising to see it sell for $60,000. The photo doesn’t quite capture the full impact of the card’s design, which looks even better in person.
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My ART…King James hidden shine 😎💙
— Art | artkaroon.eth (@ArtKaroon9) August 9, 2023
🖼️ This is the 1st year release of the rare Galactic parallels by @PaniniAmerica …this is also the only PSA 10 copy in existence of the LeBron James card pic.twitter.com/PWZl9mwtuc
2. 2019 One and One Gold
2019 Panini One and One marks the debut year for both this set and also LeBron’s first season as a Laker. The gold color match is especially appealing to collectors looking to celebrate that new chapter in his career. The fact that the box comes with only two cards makes these cards even more rare and sought-after. This copy sold for over $62,000 and is one of just two PSA 10s.
1. 2018 Kaboom! Gold
Yes, another Kaboom. Who would have guessed? 2018 marked the debut of both Gold and Green Kabooms, and they’ve absolutely exploded in popularity ever since, with no signs of that slowing down anytime soon. It’s no stretch to say this set will go down as one of the most iconic Panini sets of all time. A BGS 9.5 copy of LeBron sold privately less than a year ago for $225,000.
Jason is a dedicated basketball card collector who recently transitioned into writing and educating others about the sports card industry. Find him on Instagram @jeancardz