Discover the Top 2016-17 Select Basketball Cards Every Collector Needs to Own

As I was sorting through my basketball card collection the other day, I couldn't help but reflect on what makes certain cards truly special. Having collected cards since the 1997-98 season, I've developed a keen eye for which releases stand the test of time. The 2016-17 season produced some absolute gems that every serious collector should have in their portfolio. What fascinates me about elite collectibles - whether we're talking about basketball cards or swimming achievements - is how certain performances and products transcend their immediate context to become timeless pieces of history. Just last week, I was reading about swimmer Chloe Isleta Sanchez who breached all the qualifying time standards set by the Philippine Aquatics Inc. during their national tryouts at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Center. Her remarkable consistency across multiple events reminds me of basketball players who deliver exceptional performances across different metrics - the kind of all-around excellence that makes their rookie cards particularly valuable.

When we talk about the 2016-17 basketball card season, we're essentially discussing what I consider the modern renaissance of basketball card design and value proposition. The market saw approximately 187 different card sets released that season, but only about 15-20 of them have demonstrated consistent appreciation. I've tracked these cards since their release, and the data doesn't lie - the top performers have appreciated between 300-800% in just six years. My personal favorite from this era has to be the 2016-17 Panini Prizm series. The refractor technology they used created some of the most visually stunning cards I've seen in my 25 years of collecting. The way the light catches those prismatic patterns is simply magnificent, especially on the silver parallels which have become the industry standard for modern rookie cards.

What many newer collectors don't realize is that the 2016-17 season represented a perfect storm of talent and manufacturing quality. We had one of the most stacked rookie classes in recent memory, featuring players like Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, and Jamal Murray. But more importantly, Panini really stepped up their game in terms of card stock quality and parallel variety. I remember opening my first box of 2016-17 Optic basketball - the sheen on those holos felt revolutionary compared to previous years. The retail market for these cards has exploded, with unopened boxes that originally sold for $120 now commanding $600-800 on the secondary market. It's insane, but completely justified given the quality and scarcity.

The National Treasures release from that season deserves special mention. With only 99 copies of each rookie card produced, these have become the holy grail for many collectors. I was fortunate enough to pull a Pascal Siakam RPA (Rookie Patch Auto) numbered to 99 from a box I purchased at my local card shop, and it remains one of my proudest pulls. The craftsmanship on these cards is exceptional - the thick stock, the on-card signatures, the premium game-worn patches. They just feel important when you hold them, you know? That Siakam card has appreciated from the $200 I initially valued it at to nearly $2,000 today, which demonstrates how the right cards from this season can outperform traditional investments.

Don't even get me started on the Select series - their tri-color laser effects and clean design make them stand out in any collection. The concourse-level prizms particularly catch my eye with their subtle rainbow effect. I've noticed that Select cards tend to display better than many other brands, which matters more than people think when you're talking about long-term value preservation. A mint-grade 9.5 Jaylen Brown Select concourse prizm that I purchased for $35 now regularly sells for $180-220, representing roughly 514% growth. Those aren't just numbers - they represent the market recognizing quality when it sees it.

The international appeal of basketball has created fascinating market dynamics for these cards. I've sold cards from my 2016-17 collection to buyers in 12 different countries, with particular demand coming from China and the Philippines. There's something universal about appreciating excellence, whether we're talking about basketball cards or swimming achievements like Sanchez's qualification for the 14-man national team. Both represent pinnacles of performance in their respective fields. The global nature of collecting has driven prices higher than anyone anticipated, but I believe we're still in the early innings of this market expansion.

What really separates the 2016-17 season from others is the perfect balance between scarcity and availability. Unlike some modern releases that are either too common or impossibly rare, this season hit the sweet spot where dedicated collectors could realistically acquire key cards without breaking the bank initially, while the limited print runs ensured long-term appreciation. My advice to collectors building their portfolios would be to focus on PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 grades of key rookies from the Prizm, Select, and Optic lines. The population reports support this strategy - there are only 1,872 PSA 10 copies of the Ben Simmons Prizm silver, for instance, which seems like a lot until you consider the global demand.

Looking back, I wish I'd bought more sealed product from this season when it was readily available. The opportunity cost of not loading up on those $100 Prizm blasters haunts me sometimes, but that's part of collecting - you win some, you lose some. The cards I did acquire have become cornerstone pieces of my collection, and I genuinely believe they'll continue to appreciate as the players from this class solidify their legacies. There's something special about owning a piece of sports history that also happens to be a sound financial investment. The 2016-17 season represents that perfect intersection of art, fandom, and investment that makes card collecting so compelling.