With prices skyrocketing in the sports memorabilia industry, NBA Top Shot is quickly emerging as the next frontier for opportunistic collectors.
Since exploding in popularity over the course of the 2020-21 NBA season, the blockchain-based platform has grown its userbase from 50,000 accounts in February with at least one ‘moment’ owned to 420,000 as of April 14.
Over three million transactions have been processed with a LeBron James dunk selling for $210,000 USD, the most expensive on record.
After receiving a $305 million USD investment from Michael Jordan and other NBA stars, it seems like a matter of time before NBA Top Shot starts minting historical moments.
In anticipation of these, I spoke with Nathan Barnai of KSA Certification, one of Canada’s most trusted grading and authentication services, for some guidelines on what makes a collectable coveted. In no particular order, here are three considerations to think about when assessing Top Shot moments:
- "Does the moment make you jump out of your seat?”
- “High-value rookie cards are generally coveted.”
- “The older generation of card collectors might not be the same userbase as present day Top Shot collectors.”
Taking some of Barnai’s observations on the speculative nature of collectables, here are my predictions for the top-5 highest grossing moments of all-time:
Michael Jordan – Game 6 Shot, 1998 Finals
Is there a single moment in NBA history more iconic than MJ’s pull-up game-winner over Bryon Russell?
I remember watching that moment live and even though there was a sense of confidence he’d do something legendary, it still got you out of your seat when you saw the ball swish through the net. Jordan might have had more eye-popping moments earlier in his career, but this one epitomized his dominance over 90’s basketball and cemented his place as the GOAT.
LeBron James – Game 7 Block, 2016 Finals
Put this moment in LeBron’s GOAT case file because the chase down block of Andre Iguodala might be the most iconic finals moment of all-time.
From an athleticism standpoint, it’s still jaw-dropping to see how much ground LBJ was able to cover in the split-second Iggy collected the ball and attempted his layup. So much of LeBron’s greatness relates to his basketball IQ but this play immortalizes how physically superior he was.
Factor in Golden State’s 73-9 all-time regular season record, coming back from a 3-1 deficit, and winning a title for his childhood team, it’s a no-brainer why this one projects as his all-time Top Shot moment.
Vince Carter – ‘It’s Over’, 2000 Slam Dunk Contest
Think about all the players who paid homage to ‘Air Canada’ in the slam dunk contests that came after. Memories fade over time and it’s easy to forget that VC was the leading vote getter for the All-Star game in just his sophomore season.
In an interview with Chris Rose back in 2015, Kobe Bryant famously surprised the host by naming Carter as the greatest dunker of all-time ahead of Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins and himself.
Sure this dunk had no real-life implications but this could very well be the most ‘jump out of your seat’ moment of all-time. The live reactions of Shaquille O’Neal, Dikembe Mutombo, and Kevin Garnett should tell you everything you need to know about how jaw-dropping this dunk was.
Luka Doncic – Buzzer Beater, Dallas at Portland, 2018
This article is half cherry-picking the coolest NBA moments of all-time, half speculating what the collectables market will value in the years to come.
If we’ve learnt anything from the world of trading cards, a significant premium is placed on rookie related memorabilia. As it stands, a signed Doncic rookie card holds the record for most expensive basketball card ever sold at $4.6M.
While this buzzer beater has not been minted by Top Shot just yet, it’ll likely be the most coveted rookie moment from the Slovenian. As of today, only seven players have a moment sold for a higher price than Doncic. Two of the top-10 most expensive ones are rookie moments from Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.
Considering Doncic’s current memorabilia track record and his potential impact on the NBA, this moment could be seen as the official point the future HOFer put his name on the map.
Kawhi Leonard – The Shot, 2019 Eastern Conference Finals
If there’s ever a pick that’s biased on this list, flag this one.
Sure, this wasn’t an NBA finals moment. Yes, I understand Leonard isn’t exactly a ‘superstar’ in the context of pop culture. But considering the stakes, drama, and reaction from that moment, it’s one of the most iconic non-finals playoff moments of all-time.
As a Scarborough kid, this shot has to be right at the summit of Toronto sports moments beside Joe Carter’s World Series walk-off home run.
Maybe it’s the pandemic getting to me, but the memories of running onto the streets of downtown Toronto reminds me of a time nothing else mattered beyond the Raptors.
What’s in your top-5?
