If you are not aware, Shawn Kemp is seen as one of the most influential and best playing power forwards.
The Reign Man has been part of the NBA All Star team on 6 separate occasions throughout his illustrious career. This is because of just how much of an established PF he was in his era.
Back in 1989 during the first round, Kemp had been drafted for the no longer active team the Seattle SuperSonics. When he was drafted the public had high expectations of him. He managed to live up to these expectations and was delivering very early within his career.
Unfortunately the later years of his career were affected by issues off the court.
If you are a beginner collector and want to make a start with Basketball cards. Then these are some of the best Shawn Kemp cards to put in your collection.
The Best Shawn Kemp Rookie Card Options
If you are interested in collecting cards of Shawn Kemp from his rookie era. Then all of these cards are good options for different reasons.
Have a read through our explanations of the cards and the latest values from PSAcard.
None of these cards will break the bank and are a good place to build from.
1990 Fleer Shawn Kemp RC #178
PSA 10 approximate value $50
PSA 9 $10
In spite of how high the print run of this card was by Fleer. It is still one of the most popular options when it comes to rookie cards for Shawn Kemp.
If you are not aware, this card is a part of a time referred to as the Junk Wax era. This is when cards were getting printed by their manufacturers in incredibly large quantities. Due to the popularity of collecting them.
This meant that the cards were as easily available as ever. It also meant that the prices of the cards were lower than they usually would be, even for the most popular players.
The Fleer card remains one of the most popular options when it comes to cards of Kemp.
This is mostly because of the positive reputation which had been built by Fleer. At the time they were seen as one of the more established brands of basketball card manufacturers.
Because of the huge number of cards printed. It is likely that you will be able to find it at a very decent price, no matter your budget.
You will also be able to find some versions of the card which had been signed by Kemp himself. As you can imagine, this makes the cards more desirable and drives the price up quite a bit. The Auto versions are selling in the region of $120 for a graded card.
If a card is claiming to have an autograph, but it has no official proof of signing. Or has not been graded, then be a little wary. There are plenty of fakes on the market.
1990 NBA Hoops Shawn Kemp RC #279
PSA 10 approximate value $55
PSA 9 $10
Another card which is worth looking out for is the 1990 NBA Hoops card of Kemp.
When it comes to rookie cards for Kemp, this is a classic option with the design of the card having the standard Hoops design which is now a classic. Like the previous choice, this card also was printed quite highly, so it should not be too hard for you to get your hands.
This Kemp card from 1990 still is seen as a very popular card as part of the Hoops set, however, this does not influence the price of this card too much.
The main issue you will find instead is finding this card at a high grade when it comes to listings on websites like eBay. This is because of how popular this card is, and highly printed, not everyone who is reselling it has looked after it that well.
This card does not have the most flashy design and because of this it does not stand out massively, but is similar to other basketball cards of the era. This is good if you are a fan of more classically designed basketball cards.
Due to the popularity of this card mirroring that of the previous Fleer choice. There are also plenty of autographed versions of this card available which will tend to sell for a bit more. Expect to pay about $120.
Similarly to other autographed cards, these cards are not official autographed sets from Hoops. But were instead hand signed by Kemp. This contributes to the fact that there is a higher likelihood that the signature could be fake without anything to back it up.
1990 Skybox Shawn Kemp RC #268
PSA 10 Approximate value $35
PSA 9 $10
The final mainstream choice we have decided to highlight in this article is the 1990 Skybox basketball card for Shawn Kemp which is numbered as #268.
This basketball card actually gets quite a bit of attention as this is one of the most widely available Shawn Kemp cards, but also for the fact that it features James Worthy in the picture used as well. If you do not know Worthy is one of the most famous LA Lakers and is a legend in the sport.
The photo also features Worthy’s highly recognizable #42 jersey. With colored lines in the background helping the pair of figures photographed stand out even more.
These are all highly popular choices when it comes to getting basketball cards of Shawn Kemp. Luckily all of these are relatively inexpensive and easy to get your hands on.
You should be able to find grade auto cards for around $90. Making them a great value start to any collection.
Buying Guide For Shawn Kemp Rookie Cards
When it comes to buying rookie cards you will want to closely consider what you want from your cards.
With our list we have gathered 3 choices being Fleer, NBA Hoops, as well as Skybox.
While Fleer have the most illustrious history when it comes to producing basketball cards, theirs also tend to be more expensive generally speaking.
NBA Hoops are still making basketball cards and you will find them still producing some of the best modern rookie cards.
When it comes to choosing Shawn Kemp Rookie cards. There isn’t much difference in price. Go for the highest grading you can find in your price range.
Who Is Shawn Kemp
As mentioned in the introduction, Shawn Kemp is seen as an iconic and talented power forward from his generation of basketball and is appreciated for this.
He played in the 90s for the Seattle SuperSonic who have now been rebranded in OKC Thunder. A star of this team’s history is Kemp being one of the most talented on the team.
As mentioned, he was drafted late in the 1989 season and was perceived as talented but certainly unrefined. He also had some problems off the field which also made drafting him seem undesirable.
He did not play as much in his first seasons, however he flourished in his second season. His overall best season with the Seattle SuperSonics was in 1995 to 1996 and he led the SuperSonics with a 64 win streak but were unfortunately beaten by the Chicago Bulls.
While he faced some problems with addiction later in his career, he still had some food seasons later on in his career playing for the Cavaliers after the SuperSonics.
Conclusion
Hopefully this list has shown you the best options when it comes to collecting rookie cards of Shawn Kemp
When I was just starting out with my card collection, I had lots of questions about authenticity, trading, and card conditions. But with not that much information available online, I felt quite alone in my queries. Some questions still haven’t been answered to this day.
This site aims to rectify this, and now, I am passing on my knowledge!
- Bo Jackson Rookie Cards for savvy collectors - March 19, 2023
- Bo Bichette Baseball Rookie Cards - March 11, 2023
- Great Value baseball cards from the 60’s under $500 - March 4, 2023
