Duke basketball product Zion Williamson revived an entire industry

One Duke basketball legend is now a legend in the business of sports cards.

Up until the ’90s, trading cards were basically a commodity, as sports memorabilia stores were a common sight in strip malls. Today? Not so much. Though these brick-and-mortar shops probably won’t reappear in masses because of the internet, 2020 has brought a noticeable resurgence in the hobby, with much credit belonging to former Duke basketball one-and-done Zion Williamson.

ALSO READ: The 10 most hated Blue Devils of all time

At least that’s what Rey Revereza, a 38-year-old who’s had an eye on the industry since the early ’90s and is now the co-owner of Dolly’s Sports Cards in Toronto, recently suggested to Alex Wong of The Star:

“[Williamson] really drove the industry. Once his stock went up, and people started realizing that hey, wait a minute, this guy could one day be a Hall of Famer, that’s when the initial popularity in cards happened. And it snowballed into the other sports.”

According to Revereza, the initial uptick coincided with Williamson’s brilliance in his NBA debut on Jan. 22, when the mesmerizing New Orleans Pelicans power forward tallied 22 points and seven rebounds across a mere 18 minutes of action after rehabbing from knee surgery only three months prior.

It didn’t hurt that the 6-foot-6, 285-pound airbus went on to score in double figures in all but one of his 24 rookie outings, averaging 22.5 points and 6.3 boards in only 27.8 minutes per game. Williamson had lived up to the hype as a No. 1 draft pick, after being a YouTube sensation as a five-star prep and a SportsCenter mainstay as a thrill-a-minute Duke basketball star.

How much could the Duke basketball great’s cards be worth?

As Wong confirmed in his article, the values of certain cards featuring Williamson and others, including athletes from other sports and even some retirees, are indeed in the midst of an ongoing boom:

“Suddenly, every collector wanted to get their hands on a Williamson rookie card. In June, an autographed rookie card of his sold for nearly $100,000 on eBay…A one-of-one 2003-04 Michael Jordan-LeBron James autographed dual patched autographed card sold for $900,000 earlier this year. In May, an equally rare Mike Trout rookie card was sold for a similar price.”

Wong also noted that several sites with a focus elsewhere have caught wind of the sudden craze and subsequently altered their business models:

“StockX, an online marketplace once reserved for sneakers, streetwear, and designer handbags, now has an entire section devoted to trading cards…The buzz has piqued the interest of adult fans who collected cards growing up.”

Yes, someone must satisfy the growing appetite of all the middle-aged folks who have been quarantining at home this year while dusting off their card-filled binders in the attic, reminiscing on the fun they experienced as kids from unwrapping countless packs in hopes of finding a hidden gem.

Apparently, though, the goods are tough to come by these days, as Wong reported:

“Members of online message boards and Facebook groups scour the aisles of Walmart and Toys R Us locations on a daily basis, buying up packs of cards as soon as they hit the shelves…the same issues online, where products are selling out instantly and resurfacing in the aftermarket for well above retail price.”

Maybe these zealous card collectors should take a break from time to time by shopping at Hallmark for a proper thank-you card to send to Zion Williamson.

Finally, those of you looking for a complete breakdown of the current Williamson card market should check out this two-week-old piece from Josh Wilson of Pelican Debrief (the FanSided counterpart of Ball Durham covering the New Orleans Pelicans).

Better hurry, though, for as volatile as the industry has proven to be over the decades, the prices Wilson outlines might soon be obsolete.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more on Zion Williamson plus other Duke basketball news and views.