Why Victor Wembanyama Cards Are More Expensive Than Shaq's Cards

We all know how explosive and dynamic Victor Wembanyama can be. He's genuinely unlike anything the game has ever seen. Then again, so is Shaquille O' Neal, who averaged 38 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game during his first championship run. So yes, the idea that Victor Wembanyama’s sports cards are currently more expensive than Shaq’s is something worth pausing on. And while it's true comparing across two different eras of sports cards is tricky, it's not impossible to get close to an apples to apples comparison.

The Wemby Card Market

👽 Both Victor Wembanyama 2023 Panini Prizm 1/5 PSA 10 sold for over $70K via auction with @GoldinCo last January 3rd!

WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE: Green Shimmer FOTL or Neon Green Fast Break? pic.twitter.com/uHVZrwYhuQ
— Cardhedger (@cardhedger) January 8, 2026

For this comparison, we'll use Wemby’s 2023 Panini Prizm Silver PSA 10 and Shaq’s 1992 Topps Gold PSA 10. Wemby’s Silver currently holds a population of about 4,900 and last sold for $1,550. Shaq’s Topps Gold, on the other hand, last sold for roughly $500 less despite having less than one fifth of the population. Even Shaq’s Upper Deck PSA 10 rookie, which recently sold for $2,400, only did so because it has a population more than thirteen times smaller in that grade. If we instead look at the BGS 9.5 grade of that Upper Deck card, which has a population much closer to Wemby’s, we see a clear discrepancy. Wemby’s BGS 9.5 last sold for $950, while Shaq’s did just $372.

Victor Wembanyama vs Shaquille O' Neal — Victor Wembanyama Rookie Card Outselling Shaq’s by $500 Despite Having Over Five Times the Population | https://app.cardladder.com/sales-history?sort=date&direction=desc

Wemby vs. Shaq

This demonstrates just how big of a role hype plays in the hobby. A generational prospect will often be priced as if they're already an all time great, and the market tends to temporarily ignore the historical reminders of why they likely won't sustain long-term value. In this case it's particularly relevant, because even though centers rarely sustain their prices (making him a questionable investment as it is), Wemby is outpricing some of the greatest centers of all time.

Zion Williamson Card Market — Once Hyped Generational Prospect Zion Williamson Shows How Quickly Hype Can Fade in the Card Market | https://app.cardladder.com/players/Zion%20Williamson

Now it is worth noting that I could be entirely wrong. Victor Wembanyama could go on to become a top five player of all time. He could stay healthy moving forward, despite his early injury concerns, and put together a career even more impressive than Shaq’s. Is that truly worth betting on though? Or if not, are we that confident in the international appeal of Wemby, that we're content with him being less accomplished than Shaq? Are we that sure the hype won't die down and prices will follow? Or are there players in the market with a better risk to reward ratio? I think we all know the answer to that.