Early Victor Wembanyama Cards to Get You Ready for His Rookie Cards
The wait for the first Victor Wembanyama Rookie Card is almost over. That said, collectors still have some options from cards released before the San Antonio Spurs took the French center first overall at the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wembanyama is the most hyped basketball prospect since Zion Williamson. Seeing as how Williamson hasn’t worked out so well thus far, many are throwing it back to LeBron James. No matter the case, expectations are high and Wembanyama is drawing a lot of outside interest to the hobby as casual collectors look to get in on the action, too.
When Will Victor Wembanyama Rookie Cards Arrive?
For those looking for Victor Wembanyama Rookie Cards, at least by traditional definitions, they’ll be in 2023-24 NBA products. He’ll have dozens of different base RC cards plus parallels and lots of different inserts. In short, collectors will have no shortage of options.
Until then, here’s a look at the first Victor Wembanyama cards on the market. These mainly feature the 7′ 4″ standout as a member of the Metropolitans 92.
Early Victor Wembanyama Basketball Card Highlights
2023 Sports Illustrated Kids Victor Wembanyama #1053
The first Victor Wembanyama card didn’t come in a pack of cards. It wasn’t available as an online exclusive, either. Rather, it came as part of a nine-card sheet in the January/February, 2023 issue of Sports Illustrated Kids magazine.
The centering on most of these is brutal making truly high-grade copies tough.
As his first — and for a long time, only — card, this one commands a big price tag. But as more options become available, particularly NBA-licensed ones, don’t be surprised if more collectors start looking elsewhere.
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2023 SlamDeck Collection Equipes de France Victor Wembanyama
If you’re looking for a more obscure early Victor Wembanyama card, there’s 2023 SlamDeck Collection. Not a traditional trading card, it’s part of a game released in France with players from the French national team.
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2022-23 Bowman Inception University Autographs Victor Wembanyama #BIA-VW
Wembanyama was a late addition to the 2022-23 Bowman Inception University checklist, his first appearance in a traditional pack-driven North American product. Although the center doesn’t have a base card, he does have an autograph (a redemption).
Parallels: Blue Foil (/99), Fuchsia Foil (/75), Gold Foil V1 (/50), Gold Foil V2 (/50), Orange Foil (/25), Red Foil (/5), Foilfractors (1/1)
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2022-23 Bowman Chrome University Victor Wembanyama #101
The much-hyped prospect gets his first Bowman base card in 2022-23 Bowman Chrome University. A short print in the product, it doesn’t have any Refractor parallels, just the base version.
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2022-23 Bowman Chrome University Autographs Victor Wembanyama #101
Like Inception, this one’s another redemption. Bowman Chrome’s popularity in baseball, especially when it comes to prospects, could carry over here. Yes, it’s a collegiate product but Wembanyama is pictured in his Metropolitans 92 gear. It’s still early to see how NIL-style products will be received over the long run. However, when it comes to the first Victor Wembanyama autograph cards before his NBA career, there’s a lot of appeal here.
As an added chase, one of the parallels has a “1st Card I Ever Signed” inscription.
Parallels: Refractors (/499), RayWave Refractors (/199), Green Refractors (/99), Yellow Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Gold Lava Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Orange Shimmer Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Red Shimmer Refractors (/5), Superfractors (1/1)
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2022-23 Bowman’s Best University Victor Wembanyama #51
The 2022-23 Bowman’s Best University Basketball Victor Wembanyama card is a more colorful alternative to Bowman Chrome. Also, because it’s not a short print, prices should be more affordable. It also means a full rainbow of more than a dozen different Refractor parallels.
Parallels: Refractors, Speckle Refractors, Mini-Diamond Refractors (/299), Purple Refractors (/250), Aqua Lava Refractors (/199), Blue Refractors (/150), Pink Lava Refractors (/100), Green Refractors (/99), Green Mini-Diamonds Refractors (/99), Gold Lava Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/10), Red Lava Refractors (/5), Superfractors (1/1)
2022-23 Bowman’s Best University Best of 2022 Autographs Victor Wembanyama #BOA-VW
In addition to his regular card, Wembanyama also has an autograph in Bowman’s Best University. It too has several Refractors.
Parallels: Refractors, Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Gold Lava Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Speckle Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/10), Red Lava Refractors (/5), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Superfractors (1/1)
2023 Panini National Convention Marketing Insert Victor Wembanyama #VW
Here it is, the first official Victor Wembanyama NBA basketball card. It’s also his first wearing a San Antonio Spurs uniform. The chromium card was available in special wrapper redemption promo packs at the 2023 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.
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2023 Topps Now Baseball Victor Wembanyama #472
How big was the hype for Wembanyama? He not only got to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Yankees game two days before the draft, but it got the Topps Now treatment. Yup, a baseball card.
Available for 24 hours on the Topps website, its print run was based on the number ordered. That translated into a massive 48,654 copies.
Parallels were randomly inserted as bonuses with select orders.
Parallels: Blue (/49), Purple (/25), Red (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (1/1)
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2023 Topps Now Baseball Relics Victor Wembanyama #472A
The first Victor Wembanyama memorabilia card doesn’t have a swatch of a basketball uniform. Rather, it’s a Yankees jersey. These were available as a blind pack on the Topps website for $199.99 each. The base version has 499 copies with parallels numbered to 250 or fewer.
Parallels: White (/250), Green (/199), Black (/99), Blue (/49), Purple (/25), Red (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (1/1)
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2023 Topps Now Basketball Victor Wembanyama #D-1
Although they don’t have the NBA license, that didn’t stop Topps from making Topps Now cards for several of the top 2023 NBA draft picks, Wembanyama being one of them. The Spurs aren’t mentioned and the top pick is shown decked out in his suit so it’s still very much connected to the moment.
The lack of licensing didn’t hurt its sales, either. A total of 72,171 copies were snatched up during the limited sales window.
Like his baseball card, parallels were inserted at random in select orders.
Parallels: Blue (/49), Purple (/25), Red (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (1/1)
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2023 Topps Now Basketball Autographs Victor Wembanyama #D-1A /199
Autographed versions of the card were also available through a separate sale. Collectors bought them through a dutch auction format. A further twist came with the packaging. All autographs were put into packs so collectors didn’t know whether they were getting a base version numbered to 199 or one of its handful of parallels.
Red, Orange and Gold versions also have inscriptions.
Parallels: Silver (/99), Blue (/49), Purple (/25), Red (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (1/1)
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Wemba panini rc. Number 1