Tyrese Haliburton's Cards Surge with NBA Finals Heroics
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Although many people slept on Tyrese Haliburton before the Indiana Pacers reached the NBA Finals, it appears the tide has turned in his favor. His Game 1 performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder has shown there's more room for the young point guard's stock to grow in the card market.
Last week, Haliburton helped the Pacers draw first blood against OKC. With only 0.3 seconds left in the game, he drained a 21-foot jumper to give his team the 111-110 win over the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led team.
As a result, Haliburton has made his mark on the league by making big shots in every round of the playoffs this season. With jaw-dropping moments made against the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and the Thunder, the Pacers star is changing the narrative from being hailed as an overrated player by his peers to one worthy of respect on the biggest stage of them all.
The thing is, Haliburton’s emergence isn’t just limited to his on-court performance. It’s already reaching his stock in the basketball card market as well.
According to a report on trending cards by Sports Card Investor, Haliburton’s cards have been on an upward trend for the past seven days. His Panini Prizm base rookie card has risen by 41.9 percent during that period, and an astounding 160 percent from where it was 30 days ago.
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Haliburton’s Prizm Silver, meanwhile, has also gone up. As compared to the base card, though, the more valuable card has increased by 8.5 percent since last week and 36 percent since last month.
Heading over to eBay, Haliburton’s rookie cards encased in PSA 10 slabs are catching fire. A recent sale of a gem-mint Prizm Silver was auctioned for $365 after an earlier copy reached $500. The base Prizm rookie card, meanwhile, sold for $75.
This upward trajectory has rewarded collectors who invested in Haliburton throughout the season. While a lot of eyes were on the usual big names in the hobby, such as Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, the Pacers guard didn’t have enough power in the market as he is enjoying now.
Of course, the final requirement for Haliburton to truly make his mark on the hobby is to win a ring this season. He’ll have to lead Indiana and get four wins over a heavily favored Thunder team, though. If he manages to overcome all the odds, there’s no reason for his stock to stay where it currently is.
On the other hand, a loss to Oklahoma City may stall or even reverse that upward trend. If that happens, collectors can expect a lot of Tyrese Haliburton cards being sold in the market in the coming weeks.
In any case, Hailburton has everyone’s attention after almost flying below the radar all season long. Whether he gets the job done for the Pacers or ends up being bounced by Gilgeous-Alexander in the coming days, there’s no denying how much potential he has in the market.
Julio Munar is a sports and culture writer. His expertise revolves around the NBA, but his passion is sports cards and collectibles. He has written for ClutchPoints and The Manila Times, among other outlets.