The face of the Charlotte Hornets, LaMelo Ball is entering his third season in the NBA with the world at his feet. 

Having scored 20-plus points 39 times and five triple-doubles in 2021-22, the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year was named as an All-Star the following season in 2022. It’s hard not to believe the hype, even if Ball is somewhat underrated due to the level of talent in the league right now. 

LaMelo is the fourth-youngest All-Star in league history, and has led Charlotte in both assists and steals in each of his first two seasons. It’s no surprise that his top rookie cards are selling for eye-watering fees. 

Here’s a roundup with 10 of the best LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards to collect, including lots of info about how and why they earned a spot on the list. 

The Best LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards

Released in 2020-21, LaMelo Ball rookie cards can be found in almost every major set released that season. 

10. 2020-21 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie LaMelo Ball RC #153 (eBay)

One of 50 Rated Rookies contained within 2020-21 Donruss Optic Basketball, don’t let the lack of a signature put you off of this premium LaMelo card. An insane number of parallels can be found, either changing the color of the borderline, or the background surrounding the player. (Check out the Photon parallel seen above.)

• Base Parallels: Checkerboard, Holo, Hyper Pink, Photon, Purple, Purple Shock, White Sparkle (Rewards), Orange #/199, Lime Green #/149, Red #/99, Blue #/59, Pink #/25, Purple Stars FOTL, Gold #/10, Lucky Envelopes #/8, Green #/5, Black 1/1, Gold Vinyl 1/1
• Choice: Base Choice, Dragon, Red/Green, Red #/88, Black/Gold #/8, Nebula 1/1
• Fast Break: Holo, Purple #/95, Red #/85, Blue #/50, Pink #/20, Gold #/10, Black 1/1
• Pulsar: Blue, Green (Fanatics), Purple (Target), Red, Gold #/10
• Velocity: Blue, Pink #/79, Black #/39
• Wave: Gold, Red
• Box sets: Target Set, Fanatics Set, Premium Set #/249

Check prices of 2020-21 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

9. 2020-21 Panini Court Kings LaMelo Ball RC (eBay)

There are numerous LaMelo Ball RCs to be found in 2020-21 Court Kings Basketball, with the majority being reasonably attainable. Four base rookie cards come with a variety of parallels. Beginning with Rookies I, the subset increases in rarity up to the super short print (SSP) Rookies IV. 

There’s also the rare Blank Slate insert seen above.

• Base Parallels: Artist Proof, Ruby #/149, Amethyst #/99, Pink #/99, Violet #/49, Jade #/25, Sapphire #/25, Masterpiece 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Court Kings LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

8. 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale KABOOM! LaMelo Ball RC #23 (eBay)

2020-21 Panini Crown Royale Basketball is where you’ll find the KABOOM! subset. Whether it’s football, soccer, or basketball, Panini’s Kaboom! insert set features some of the most desirable modern cards for collectors to chase. Typically released at a rate of one per case, they’re especially rare, and the majority are valuable.

Kaboom! cards are still relatively new in the grand scheme of things, but they’re undeniably one of the more popular collections from the modern era. It’s a truly unique design, capped by being one of the rarest inserts you’re likely to find in Panini sets. They stand out instantly, and prices have shown no sign of slowing down in recent months.

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale KABOOM! LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

7. 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale LaMelo Ball RC #79 (eBay)

Sticking with the 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale collection, this LaMelo RC features a die-cut base design in the familiar shape of a crown. It’s not the most valuable option by any means, but there are a variety of Crystal parallels to chase. 

• Parallels: Asia Gold, Asia Red, Crystal, Crystal Blue #/99, Crystal Red #/49, Crystal Purple #/25, Crystal Green FOTL #/21, Crystal Gold #/10, Lucky Envelopes #/8, Crystal Black FOTL #/4, Crystal Platinum 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

6. 2020-21 Panini Spectra Color Blast LaMelo Ball RC #21 (eBay)

The NBA Color Blast inserts are some of the most popular cards on the market right now. We don’t have exact figures, although you can check out box breaks to see how rare they are. (Expect to find a Color Blast card at a rate of one for every 1-3 boxes opened.)

The 2020-21 Spectra Color Blast LaMelo Ball RC is the perfect storm when it comes to perceived value. There’s the quality of the player, and the popularity of the set itself. It’s a rookie card, and it’s exceptionally scarce. 

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Spectra Color Blast #21 on eBay

5. 2020-21 Panini Prizm LaMelo Ball RC #278 (eBay)

The 2020-21 Panini Prizm LaMelo RC is always going to be worthy of your attention, especially if you’re looking at the rarest parallels. It lacks the patches and autos seen with the most valuable cards to make the list, but it benefits from being the flagship release from a popular set.

It’s little wonder that his 2020-21 Panini Prizm RC is one of the cards sent most frequently to PSA for grading, and it’s available in a range of coloured parallels.

• 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: Blue/Yellow/Green, Tiger Stripe, Red #/88, Blue #/49, Green #/8, Nebula 1/1
• Fast Break: Base, Blue #/175, Red #/125, Purple #/75, Pink #/50, Bronze #/20, Neon Green #/5

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Prizm LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

4. 2020-21 Panini Contenders LaMelo Ball RC #105 Autograph (eBay)

2020-21 Panini Contenders Optic Basketball is a popular choice when it comes to rookie releases. The LaMelo Rookie Ticket uses a familiar design, with the inclusion of an on-card auto found at the bottom of the card. The ticket is on the left, alongside an image of the player preparing to shoot.

One again, there’s a range of colored parallels, which correspond with the background. If there’s a serial number attached, you’ll find it on the reverse. (The Red and Blue parallels also have a lower print run than other players from the Rookie Ticket subset.) 

• Parallels: Red Wave, Red #/75, Blue #/49, Orange #/25, Gold #/10, Gold Vinyl 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Contenders LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

3. 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale LaMelo Ball RC #104 Autograph Jersey #/199 (eBay)

The final 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale card to make the list is a LaMelo auto numbered to 199 copies. Found in the Silhouettes autograph patch subset, there are a further four parallels, including a one-of-one Super Prime version. (You’ll see a copy of the FOTL version in the image above.)

• Parallels: Prime #/25, FOTL #/12, FOTL Premium #/3, Super Prime 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Crown Royale LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

2. 2020-21 Panini Impeccable Elegance LaMelo Ball RC #138 Autograph Patch #/99 (eBay) 

The Elegance Rookie Jersey Autographs subset in 2020-21 Panini Impeccable Elegance contains a LaMelo card which is sure to tick most of the boxes if you’re looking for a premium rookie option to hold onto. 

They’re limited to 99 copies, and come with six parallels to chase. One drawback is that they are redemptions.

• Parallels: Holo Silver #/25, Holo Gold #/10, Platinum 1/1
• Asia Parallels: Base #/88, Red #/8, Red & Gold 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini Impeccable Elegance LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

1. 2020-21 Panini National Treasures LaMelo Ball RC #130 Autograph Patch #/99 (eBay)

Without a shadow of a doubt, the 2020-21 National Treasures RPA is the LaMelo card to chase if money is no object. 

Featuring top NBA rookies, the RPA cards combine oversized swatches and on-card autographs. You’ll also find a trio of exclusive parallels in FOTL boxes. (Base copies are serial numbered to 99.)

In Lamelo Ball’s case, that also includes an RC logo, and one of the most exciting cards you could find within the set. The high-end 2020-21 Panini National Treasures Basketball collection is our top pick, with the Purple parallel shown in the image above. 

• Parallels: Gold FOTL #/24, Gold #/10, Purple FOTL #/8, Emerald #/5, Blue FOTL #/3, Logoman 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini National Treasures LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards: Buyers Guide 

What do we think of the current state of the market for the best LaMelo Ball rookie cards? We’ve put together a brief buyers guide looking at recent sales. 

With base cards printed in high numbers, there are multiple cheaper options for collectors working with a lower budget. Cheaper LaMelo RCs include options from most base sets, including 2020-21 Panini Prizm.

The National Treasures RPA is our pick as the top LaMelo Ball rookie card. It’s prestigious, and the jumbo patch helps it to stand out from the crowd. Of course, you can’t really go wrong with the rarest parallels, or even inserts like Color Blast or Kaboom! if you’re looking for premium cards to chase.

Check prices of 2020-21 Panini National Treasures LaMelo Ball RC on eBay

LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards: Final Thoughts 

LaMelo Ball is always going to be one of the more valuable players found in modern sets, especially if you’re looking at NBA boxes from 2020-21. There aren’t many players his age that you can build a franchise around, and he’s yet to hit his ceiling in terms of potential. 

The third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft was an All-Star at the tender age of 20, and he helped the Hornets go 43-39. Ball averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per contest in 75 regular season games.

If he continues to put up solid numbers, his RCs have to be seen as a viable investment option. It’s one of the main reasons for the high prices seen for Lamelo Ball rookie cards, as many collectors agree that he’s one of the brightest prospects in the NBA.