The Five Most Expensive Damian Lillard Basketball Cards
The sport of basketball is just about as iconic as an All-American sport as baseball. From coast to coast, state to state, nation for nation, basketball has become a sport that is favored by athletes and fans at a popularity level that rivals baseball. Because of this, not only has basketball become another favorite past-time as a sport, it has also become a favorite sport of choice when it comes to collecting sports cards. Once upon a time, baseball was the dominant sport that hogged the spotlight as the world’s most expensive trading cards on record. This reality has changed as Wikipedia’s list of the most expensive sports cards ever bought and paid for include the names of athletes belonging to other sports. Joining the ranks of the most expensive baseball cards are a few basketball cards, the odd football card, and a Wayne Gretzky hockey card. While the name of Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers may not be in that list, his basketball cards don’t exactly come cheap, either.
About Damian Lillard
The destiny of Damian Lamonte Ollie Lilliard Sr. to become an All-Star National Basketball Association basketball legend seemed to be in the cards after he was born on July 15, 1990. While in high school, his first two basketball teams he played for hailed were a disappointment. From the first school to the second, he transferred when the coach opted not to return. In the second high school, the lack of playing time gave Lillard cause to transfer again. Now playing for Oakland High School, Lillard became the First Team All-League during his junior and senior years. Rivals.com only rated Damian Lillard as a two-star prospect that limited his options as a recruit by college basketball teams who were in search of players. Lilliard did earn and accept a scholarship to play for Weber State, which is a Big Sky Conference program in Ogden, Utah.
As a freshman at Weber State, Damian Lillard was named Freshman of the Year by the Big Sky Conference due to scoring an average of 11.5 ponits per game. He was also named as first-team All-Big Sky. During his sophomore year the per-game score average rose to 19.9 points per game. That same year saw his team earn the Big Sky Conference Championship. By the end of the season he was named Player of the Year, as well as an All-American by the Associated Press. During its 2010 season, Lillard sustained a foot injury that forced him to be sidelined for the rest of the year. In 2012, Lillard skipped his senior season to enter the NBA Draft. The end of his college career saw him ranked as the second-highest scorer in Weber State history at 1,934 points.
Chosen as the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard recorded twenty-three points and eleven assists on October 31, 2012 against the Los Angeles Lakers. This placed him in the record books as the third player in NBA history to debut with at least twenty points and ten assists. Oscar Robertson and Allen Iverson are the other two. As a Trail Blacer, Lillard was the first to win the Skills Challenge at an NBA All-Star Weekend event. His rookie season saw him win the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the fourth player in Trail Blazer’s history to do so. Season after season, Damian Lillard continued to wow the crowd, as well as his peers in the NBA. That, however, has so far come to pause as he underwent abdominal surgery on January 13, 2022. Although he was ruled out for up to eight weeks, it was stated by team management Lillard would not return to finish the 2021-22 season. Whether or not he returns for the 2022-23 season remains to be seen.
5. 2012 Panini Crusade Prizm Green & Gold Damian Lillard Rookie RC /25 #69 PSA 10 ($727.17 USD)
On December 21, 2020, this 2012 Damian Lord rookie card sold for $727.17 USD on eBay’s auction site through one of its best-recognized sellers, pwcc_auctions. This PSA-graded 10 card was registered on PSA Card’s website as confirmation of the sale, as well as its authenticity.
4. 2012 Panini Flawless Damian Lillard Rookie RC Game-Used Patch /25 #4 PSA 9 MINT ($760.00 USD)
Through eBay by pwcc_auctions, this special sports card has more than just the pic and stats of Damian Lillard. It also has a small patch embedded into the card that came from his own jersey that was used in-game. According to PSA Card, it still counts as a sports card, so it counts here too. According to the successful bidder paying $760.00 USD for it, there seems to be an agreement.
3. 2012 Damian Lillard Panini Crusade Gold 01/10 Rookie PSA 10 Gem Mint ($2,700.00 USD)
For $2,700.00 USD, the successful bid to take this Damian Lillard card home came through eBay on January 31, 2021. The seller, thejourneysportscards, frequently buys and sells sports cards through eBay and its own website, exactly as the name’s ID suggests.
2. 2013 Panini Prizm Damian Lillard (Red Prizm Autograph) #50 PSA Mint 9, Auto 10 ($2,880.00 USD)
According to Heritage Auctions, this 2013 Damian Lillard basketball card sold on July 23, 2021 for $2,880.00 USD. There were fifteen bids that fought over the right to take this card home that ultimately saw it go to the bidder that was determined to call it their own.
1. 2013 Panini Prizm Damian Lillard (Gold Prizm-Autograph) #50 PSA Gem Mint 10, Auto 10 ($4,320.00 USD)
This 2013 Damian Lillard sports card sold for $4,320.00 USD on the auction site belonging to Heritage Auctions. The purchase date was May 6, 2021 as the winner outbid the other twenty-one bidders that vied for this prize.
