Victor Wembanyama Essential Guide to Rookie Cards for Every Budget
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Victor Wembanayama is the player of the future, and there's really no debate about it. He's quickly evolved from being just one of the hottest prospects in the world to a true superstar. Currently in his third NBA season, Wemby has brought the San Antonio Spurs to second place in the Western Conference and placed himself on MVP watch, right next to the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
If his sports card market was already hot before, it won't be long before they heat up further as the playoffs quickly approach. With so many of Wembanyama's rookie cards to go through, here are the best buys for every budget.
Under $50 - 2023 Panini Prizm Victor Wembanyama #136
There aren't a load of options for Victor Wembanyama rookie cards under $50, but his Base RC from 2023 Panini Prizm isn't a bad shout either. Both the ungraded and PSA 9 versions can be obtained for around $40-50, and while the design itself is nothing crazy, at the end of the day its still a licensed Wemby rookie that will only grow in value depending on how his career plays out.
Under $100 - 2023 Donruss
Victor Wembanyama has a lot of entries in the 2023 Donruss Optic line, and a number of them are attainable for under $100. The cards themselves carry both character and value in the lower-end range, especially since they feature the fan-favorite "Rated Rookie" logo.
A Blue Velocity parallel of Wemby's Donruss Optic #225 RC recently sold for $98 in a PSA 9. Other variants such as his base #220 card from the same set went for $94 in a PSA 10 grade, and the Hyper Pink parallel of his #225 RC sold for $76 ungraded through eBay auction.
Under $250 - 2023 Donruss or Prizm Parallels Graded
The best Victor Wembanyama rookie cards available for under $250 are parallels of his base RCs from either 2023 Donruss or 2023 Prizm.
Both the Red Ice and Pink Ice parallels of his 2023 Prizm base RC that was featured in the under $50 category can be bought in PSA 9 grades with a little room to spare in the budget.
For his 2023 Donruss cards, there are a couple of parallels that can be bought in a Gem Mint PSA 10 grade already. These include the Holo Green Laser, and Red variants for his #220 card, as well as the Purple parallel for his Donruss Optic #225 design.
Under $500 - 2023 Hoops Victor Wembanyama Presentations #20
In a sports card world filled with multiple parallels of the same photograph or art style, only a few truly stand out without having to try too hard. Victor Wembanyama's rookie card from 2023 Hoops Presentations is one of them. It shows a creatively drawn portrait of the Spurs' big man that could easily be a statement piece amongst a sea of similar-looking cards.
This Wemby rookie card falls way under the $500 budget with a current value of around $350. The extra $150 lying around could even be used to add a 2023 Donruss RC or two.
Under $1000 - 2023 Prizm RCs in PSA 10 or Numbered
The best course of action when looking for Victor Wembanyama cards on a $1000 budget is to stick to the classics — and in this case that's 2023 Panini Prizm. This time, however, PSA 10s and numbered parallels are now attainable.
A Ruby Wave parallel of his 2023 Prizm RC in a PSA 10 grade just sold for $927, while the Ice parallel of the same card recently went for $700. Numbered cards around the same price include a PSA 9 copy of Wemby's Red Prizm /199 from 2023 Prizm Deca and a PSA 10 graded version of his Red Millionaire Shimmer Rookie /100 from 2023 Prizm Monopoly.
Joaqin is a journalist with a strong passion for the Hobby. He has published work for HLTV.org, Rappler.com, and DLSU Sports. A decade-long Pokémon TCG collector, he recently shifted into sports cards to collect Lakers, Dodgers and Chargers players with growing PCs of Shohei Ohtani and Justin Herbert.