His NBA debut was delayed by a year, but now Ben Simmons rookie cards are among the hottest in the hobby.
Born in 1996, Simmons was the top pick of the 2016 NBA draft and has been every bit as good as the 76ers had originally hoped. A rare 6’10 point guard, Simmons is already the type of player capable of putting up a triple-double every night.
The Ben Simmons File
Born in Melbourne to a former pro basketball player and an Australian mother, Simmons quickly ascended up the ranks and moved to play his high school hoops in Florida. He was recruited by almost every major college basketball program in the country before settling in Baton Rouge where he played just one season before being selected first in the 2016 draft.
Simmons watched from the sidelines with a broken right foot suffered in a September practice and Philadelphia struggled without him all of 2016-17. Collectors and prospectors who grabbed Simmons rookie cards early had to utilize a bit of patience.
He’s come back stronger and more skilled than ever. There hasn’t been this much buzz about a Rookie of the Year candidate since Kyrie Irving stole the show in 2011-12. Most of the recent winners haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Simmons is bucking that trend in a hurry. The former LSU star has been dazzling in his first full season with Philadelphia and collectors who held their ground during the injury season might be the big winners.
How’s this for a stat? The list of players with 1100+ points, 500+ rebounds, and 500+ assists at age-21 or younger includes three names: Magic Johnson, LeBron James…and Ben Simmons.
Upper Deck’s Exclusive Autograph Deal vs. Panini Rookie Cards
Simmons is certainly serving up veteran-like card appeal during his rookie NBA campaign. Panini has the NBA trading card license but Upper Deck signed Simmons to an exclusive autograph deal in June 2016, where he joined fellow Upper Deck NBA exclusives like Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Despite not having Simmons autographs, the low serial-numbered inserts from Panini are still grabbing attention and rising in value.
The Upper Deck portfolio of Simmons products have been selling well despite photos that don’t show him in an NBA uniform and their lack of “official” rookie card status. An autographed 2016-17 Exquisite PSA 10 auto numbered to 99 sold this fall for $15,000 while an ungraded copy drew a top price of $5,200. His Upper Deck Goodwin Champions cards have also been red-hot in the marketplace. In fact, the Exquisite autos were issued with 2017 Goodwin Champions.
The Panini rookie card side is also a slam dunk so far with National Treasures among the most popular. There are still many other regular Ben Simmons rookie cards with tons of appeal that don’t cost nearly that much.
Which is the best Be
n Simmons rookie card to own? We like to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there are plenty of different options but finding an attractive-looking card that’s limited in quantity is always a good bet.
“Trust the Process”
They were told to “trust the process” and Philly fans who were also patient with center Joel Embiid are seeing a dangerous duo forming. Simmons will most likely continue to generate giant buzz on a now competitive big market team.
You can check out the most watched Ben Simmons rookie cards on eBay via the live list below.
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