Rather curiously, Victory Wembanyama's first online-exclusive Topps NOW appearance came on the diamond, not the court. Traveling to New York to attend the NBA Draft, Wemby threw out the first pitch at Yankees Stadium on June 20, 2023, two nights before he would be selected first overall. Topps commemorated the event with a Topps NOW card sold the day following his appearance on the mound. But hoops fans only had to wait one more day for the first basketball-based NOW card.
His No. 1 overall draft selection was honored with a same-day release on June 22. The base version garnered an eye-popping print run of 72,171. But coveted on-card autographed versions were also sold via Dutch Auction. The card was offered in seven variations, with the first four numbered /199, /99, /49, and /25. The other three versions, numbered /10, /5, and /1 all featured an inscription and Wemby’s signature. This bold Red parallel /10 example is the only copy of the card to earn a PSA 10 grade.
Learn more about the French phenom’s pre-NBA cards in our Guide to Victor Wembanyama’s Early Basketball Cards: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/definitive-guides/the-french-selection-a-guide-to-victor-wembanyamas-early-basketball-cards
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 05/30/2024.
