Let’s discuss the best Kevin Durant rookie cards.
Durant joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for his Rookie of the Year campaign, going on to be named as the MVP in 2014.
Durant went on to lead the Golden State Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships, before signing with the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2019.
After sitting out the 2019-20 NBA season due to an achilles injury, KD returned in 2021 to remind everyone why he’s considered to be an all-time great.
We’ve listed some of the best Kevin Durant rookie cards below, including a modern hit along with tried and tested RCs.
The Best Kevin Durant Rookie Cards
There are over 30 KD rookie cards, and that’s without accounting for parallels.
Here are three of the best Kevin Durant rookie cards, based on everything from recent values to overall rarity.
3. 2007-08 Bowman Chrome Refractor Kevin Durant RC #111 (eBay)
Released back in November 2007, the Bowman Chrome KD RC has proven to be one of the more popular early options with collectors over the last 15 years.
Numbered to 2,999, a total of 17 parallels can be found for each base card. The image features the rookie in a side-on posed photo, with a draft board used for the background.
You’ll also find a small silver ‘Rookie’ logo on the top right corner.
2. 2007-08 SP Authentic Kevin Durant RC #152 (eBay)
The 2007-08 SP Authentic Kevin Durant rookie card is a thing of beauty, even if the version seen in the image above lacks the player patch found with the hobby edition.
This landscape card features a simple image of the player dribbling alongside an on-card auto filled in blue ink.
The swatch card shares the same card number, although it had a print run of 299 copies. (The non-patch retail edition comes in at 399, which is still fairly rare.)
1. 2007-08 Topps Chrome Refractor Kevin Durant RC #131 (eBay)
Condition-related issues are one of the main reasons why the 2007-08 Topps Chrome Kevin Durant RC takes the top spot on our list.
One wrong look at the chromium finish will cause it to flake away. Many were ruined before being taken out of the packet when they were originally released.
There are various numbered parallels, including Refractor (#/1,499), Orange Refractor (#/199), White Refractor (#/99), and X-Fractor (#/50) versions.
The Topps Chrome RC has consistently been the best KD card to own if you’re aiming to make a profit in the long run.
Kevin Durant Cards: Modern Alternatives
What if you have a preference for modern cards, rather than expensive RCs that were released decades ago? We’ve listed a viable investment piece below that is still relatively affordable depending on the parallel.
2020-21 Panini Prizm Kevin Durant #81 (eBay)
If you’re looking for modern alternatives, look no further than the flagship 2020-21 Panini Prizm Basketball set. Released March 2021, the PSA 10 graded Black Gold copy seen above sold for $7,306 in December that year.
- Prizm Parallels: Silver, Blue Wave, Gold Wave, Green, Green Ice, Hyper, Orange Ice, Pink Ice, Purple Wave, Red Ice, Red/White/Blue, Ruby Wave, White Sparkle, Red #/299, Blue #/199, Purple Ice #/175, Blue Ice #/125, Purple #/99, Orange Wave #/60, Orange #/49, Pink Pulsar #/42, Blue Shimmer #/35, Purple Pulsar #/35, Green Pulsar #/25, Mojo #/25, Gold #/10, Gold Shimmer #/10, Lucky Envelopes #/8, Black Gold #/5, Green Shimmer #/5, Black 1/1, Black Shimmer 1/1
- Choice Prizms: Blue/Yellow/Green, Tiger Stripe, Red #/88, Blue #/49, Green #/8, Nebula 1/1
- Fast Break Prizms: Base, Blue #/175, Red #/125, Purple #/75, Pink #/50, Bronze #/20, Neon Green #/5
2020-21 Panini Spectra Color Blast Kevin Durant #3 (eBay)
Another valuable, rare card is found in the form of the 2020-21 Panini Spectra Basketball short-printed Color Blast insert.
Color Blast cards are some of the more interesting recent releases, with a unique background set against an image of the athlete doing what they do best. Copies of the KD card only come up at auction every so often.
Kevin Durant Cards: Guide
KD is an all-time great, while his RC prices continue to increase in value. In part, that’s because of his sheer ability, along with his long list of trophies and accomplishments.
He helped the Golden State Warriors win back-to-back NBA titles in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The manner of his arrival ruffled feathers. He finally claimed what he was missing for the first nine years of his career.
It’s not as though he hasn’t been without controversy, but they’re minor offences in the grand scheme of things. We expect his cards to be a good investment as he’s a cert for Hall of Fame inclusion.
The Best Kevin Durant Cards: Summary
He might not be as popular as the likes of Kobe Bryant or MJ, but there’s no denying KD’s impact on the sport over the past decade.
He currently holds over 20 NBA records, such as being the youngest player in history to win an NBA scoring title.
An individual that many love to hate, there’s still no way to diminish his numerous talents, or the values of his best rookie cards when they’re encased in a graded slab.
Leave a ReplyCancel reply