Hoops Hobby

I stopped by a local card store recently for the first time. It was one I didn’t know existed until a local area collector told me about it. The prices were fair on packs and boxes, and wanting to support local shops, I walked out with something.

While I didn’t spot any singles I wanted to grab, I saw a tin with Giannis on it that seemed like a reasonable price, for opening ultra-modern packs, at least. These tins have recent Prizm and sometimes Optic packs. The one I grabbed had a single Prizm (Retail) pack from each of the last four seasons (2020-21 through 2023-24).

Every once in awhile it’s fun to open some packs, assuming I have no expectations for the contents. That’s the state of current products, especially with retail products. This at least promised me a cool tin. I also had yet to open a pack of current year Prizm before this one.

I started with 2021-22 Prizm, the only recent year of Prizm I’d actually opened any packs of before, and that was during the pandemic. It was a blaster at a time when I was just thrilled to even find packs on the shelves. I opened it and found mismatched players on the front and back (Malachi Flynn cracked ice on the front with Mason Plumlee on the back, if I remember right). What a time.

I’ll just share the contents of the tin, pack by pack.

Pack 1: 2021-22 Prizm

Fitting to open a KD USA card with KD coming off some stellar performances, including a special game against Serbia in the opening pool game. He’s just so smooth. Between the KD and the Tre Mann rookie (current Charlotte Hornet), not a bad start.

KD always seems to thrive in the Olympic setting. It’s a joy to watch such a dominant and lethal scorer playing around other elite talent.

Pack 2: 2022-23 Prizm

The second pack provided a Magic Johnson, as well as a Jordan Clarkson Green parallel. Unless I’m opening a Bucks or possibly Celtics card, these Green Prizms aren’t my favorite, but that’s part of the state of ultra-modern cards. The Magic is pretty sweet, though.

Was hoping for some Pacers from this pack, since several of the photos are from a preseason Pacers/Hornets game I attended in Charlotte, but no luck. Longshot just opening a single pack.

Pack 3: 2023-24 Prizm

Again, a retired legend card wins this pack. Alvarado’s a fine player who also played in the 2024 Olympics (Puerto Rico). Even so, with these Prizm parallels, star players or rookie cards are ideal. With one pack left, my favorite card is still easily the KD from pack one.

Pack 4: 2020-21 Prizm

I saved a chance at Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball (One of my son’s favorite players) for last. But it was not to be. Lonnie Walker, a fine player from Miami who’s still only 25, is the lone Silver Prizm from the tin.

It was fun to open some packs, and that’s all I’m after if I’m being honest with myself, when making a purchase like this. My boys will appreciate having this Giannis tin to store some of their cards, and it was fun to open a USA card as well.

Anyone out there had some luck with a repack product like this tin? I would enjoy hearing about it!