The NBA's Historic 2018 Draft and Rookie Cards
When discussing the greatest NBA draft classes of all time, three usually come to mind. The 1984 class introduced legends like Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. In 1996, we saw the arrival of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and Ray Allen. Then came 2003, featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. And while these classes have cemented their place in history, the 2018 draft may have just as strong a case to join their ranks when we revisit this conversation 20 years from now.
RELATED: The Rise of Panini NBA Prizm: Basketball's Hottest Cards
The 2018 NBA draft class is top ___ all-time
— joe schmidt (@Joe_Schmidt07) December 5, 2023
Luka Doncic
Trae Young
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jalen Brunson
Mikal Bridges
To name a few pic.twitter.com/98OgbJ3JEK
People often forget just how stacked the 2018 draft class is: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Michael Porter Jr., and more. While they still have plenty to prove on the court, their rookie cards have been anything but overlooked - Jalen Brunson’s 2018 Prizm Nebula 1/1 rookie card recently sold for around $100,000, while SGA’s Rookie Patch Auto /99 just fetched over $90,000.
The overall greatness of the class definitely contributes to the popularity of 2018 basketball cards, but the real driver comes from Luka Doncic. His 2018 Prizm rookie card is already one of the most iconic basketball cards of all time, and his talent, trajectory, and overall popularity continue to fuel this class, as well as 2018 basketball cards as a whole.
Luka Doncic has more career triple-doubles than 99.9% of all players in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/ZpohHliyNX
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) February 26, 2025
Looking back at those iconic draft classes, each was defined by a global superstar - Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. Luka Doncic still has a long way to go, but the fact that it’s not outlandish to suggest he could one day be mentioned alongside those legends speaks to both his potential, and that of the 2018 draft class as a whole.
Jason is a dedicated basketball card collector who recently transitioned into writing and educating others about the sports card industry. Find him on Instagram @jeancardz