Many collectors fondly remember the second year of the popular premium brand from SkyBox, which built on the success of the 1996-97 E-X2000 set—an experimental release that utilized a plastic stock, intricate layering, and die-cutting. For the 80-card follow-up series, 1997-98 E-X2001, the company put a new twist on the Credentials parallel, utilizing a new plastic stock, unique serial numbering, and two tiers that offered more scarcity. “I had had that plastic sitting around in my magic book for a long time,” said Jean MacLeod, one of the lead designers at Fleer/SkyBox in the 1990s. “It was called a glow edge. When you held it, it had that ‘glowing edge’ to it.”
The 1997-98 Essential Credentials Now parallel features a green color scheme on each card, with serial numbering based on the card’s number (e.g., Malone’s card #19 is /19), while the Essential Credentials Future parallel features a pink color scheme on each card, and the serial numbering runs in inverse order of card numbers (e.g., Malone’s card #19 is /62). “(The plastic) came in a very limited number of colors,” MacLeod said, “and those (pink and green) seemed like the two that would really stand out in the pack when you got it.”
This 1997-98 E-X2001 Essential Credentials Now card ranks as one of Malone's rarest that were released during his playing days. Not surprisingly, it's also one of his most sought after cards.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 08/08/2025.
