Randomly inserted at a very tough rate of 1 in 240 Series 1 hobby and retail packs, the 1996-97 Skybox Z-Force Slam Cam inserts weren’t easy to pull and remain a favorite of 1990s basketball collectors of the day.
This nine-card set focuses on players who were known to throw down a dunk or two just about every night.
The card fronts showcase and eye-catching kaleidoscopic, color bursting backdrop with the player’s name and the words Slam Cam in comic book style font at the top of the card. There’s a full color action shot of the featured player and the Skybox Z-Force logo is featured in foil in one of the card’s four corners.
The card backs are horizontal by design and feature a similar color and font of the words Slam Cam as the underlying design with some very nineties Skybox Z-Force flavored artwork. There was a full color image of the player and a brief description of what makes the baller such a big time dunk machine.
The first card in the set is then Houston Rockets high flying sensation Clyde Drexler. During his prime, no one flew higher or soared longer than Clyde the Glide. Drexler has some truly breathtaking takeoffs during his time in Portland. He’s found getting ready to throw yet another one down on his magenta colored card photo.
Phoenix Suns rising star Michael Finley and his freakish dunk style is featured next. He was a ferocious in-game dunker and even showcased his slams in the NBA Slam Dunk contest. Finley is seen throwing down a massive one handed jam on his Slam Cam card.
Orlando Magic point guard Anfernee Hardaway is found at card number three in the set. Known for his slick all around, do-it-all skill set, it might be overlooked by some as to how fantastic some of his dunks were throughout his career. Penny is also seen throwing one down at the rim on his Slam Cam.
Detroit Pistons young superstar Grant Hill is found next in SC. The former Duke superstar was one of the better all around players and high flyers in the game in the mid nineties, shortly before injuries derailed his very promising career. A few of Hill’s alley oops are some of the more memorable from the era. Hill was so amazing in a realtively small window that he still managed to find his way to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The greatest of all time, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan is found at the fifth spot in the exciting set. It’s impossible to narrow down all of MJ’s high flying exploits to a few images or words. From his Slam Dunk contest winning free throw line dunk to his signature one handed, tongue wagging dunk to his original iconic Nike Jumpman image Michael Jordan, is synonymous with the slam dunk. The G.O.A.T. is seen doing just that- throwing one down with an intense look on his face, arm outstretched, and, of course, tongue sticking out.
One of the greatest big men dunkers of all time, Seattle Supersonics Reign Man Shawn Kemp was included in the set at the sixth spot. Kemp has one of the best in-game highlight reel dunk packages of all time. He is also seen throwing one down with two hands on his Slam Cam cardboard.
One of the most powerful dunkers in league history was Utah Jazz Hall of Famer Karl Malone. The Mailman is found next in Slam Cam. Although he’s not shown throwing down one of his patented one hand behind the head jams, if you close your eyes I’m sure you can envision a hundred different Malone dunks over the course of his career. Malone is actually shown, directing traffic, getting ready to pass the ball cross court to a teammate who he is pointing toward. 
One of the more underrated dunkers of the time, Denver Nuggets forward Antonio McDyess is the eighth card in the Slam Cam set. The masked McDyess is shown throwing down a one handed dunk on his card front. McDyess could flush from anywhere, from the baseline, full speed down the lane, on fast breaks, alley oops and his specialty- missed shot putbacks.
You can’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk on the last card in Slam Cam. Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal is shown throwing down one of his signature two handed jams where it appears as though he will rip the rim off the backboard or rip the whole stanchion down to the ground. The power structure in the league shifted as Shaq subsequently took his immense talents out west to the Los Angeles Lakers, beginning his iconic tag team with icon Kobe Bryant.
The shiny, sparkling, starburst cards carry legitimate value. Raw Shaquille O’Neal copies sell for over $100 all day long. Raw Penny Hardaway copies sell for around a hundred dollars as well. A Michael Jordan PSA 10 example, with a pop of only 17, sold for over $11,000 in March. Even BGS Gem Mint Jordan copies command nearly $4,000 on a consistent basis. You can usually find a dozen or two of these inserts on eBay but complete sets don’t sell often.
Slam Cam is a prime example of the over the top, gaudy card designs and envelope pushing products that are beloved in the hobby even thirty years later.
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