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Updated May 20, 2022
Hello! If you’re looking for a list of the best Ja Morant rookie basketball cards, then you’ve come to the right place.
Ja Morant has quickly become one of the most exciting young players in the NBA, and his rookie cards are already commanding high prices on the secondary market.
While there are a number of Ja Morant rookie cards to choose from, some are definitely more valuable and sought-after than others.
The experts here at Sports Card Sharks have already done the grunt work to help make your quest for finding the best Ja Morant rookie card a little easier.
We've spent a ridiculous amount of time sifting through each and every card and compiled this list of what we consider to be the best of the best.
Whichever Ja Morant rookie card you choose, you're sure to have a valuable asset in your collection. Good luck out there!
FAQs
The rookie cards we select for our lists are judged based on 3 criteria:
- Design / Aesthetics
- Price
- Rarity
At Sports Card Sharks, we tend to go against the grain. We typically aren’t buying what everyone else is buying when everyone else is buying it, so if you’re moving with the masses this may not be the right list for you. Adios!
Our Founder is an 80's baby that grew up in the 90's collecting sports cards during the junk wax era.
While card collecting when on hiatus for a couple of decades, that passion was re-sparked in 2020 and we haven't looked back since.
We spend countless hours researching each player and constructing these posts to help you save time and energy so that you can focus on the fun part which is collecting!
Why We Love Ja Morant
Have you seen the kid play??? Ja has bounce. Plain and simple.
Ja Morant exploded up the draft boards during his Sophmore year at Murray State with a barrage of ridiculous dunks and game after game of scoring frenzies.
After being drafted #2 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant did not disappoint. In his rookie year he averaged 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Ja ended up taking home the Rookie of the Year trophy, edging out Kendrick Nunn and Zion Williamson (who was injured much of the season).
The future is bright for this young star.
And now...on to the list.
Our List of the Top Ja Morant Rookie Basketball Cards
Please note, these are in no particular order.
1. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Crown Royale Kaboom Rookie Card
The Kaboom inserts from the Panini Crown Royale sets have really started to gain popularity in recent years and the additions of Ja Morant and Zion Williamson in 2019-20 really took it to the next level.
We love the graphic Panini chose because it shows off this thunderous dunking ability.
Also Check Out: Zion Williamson
2. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Prizm Silver #249 Rookie Card
Okay, okay, we get it. We said we don’t collect what everyone else is collecting but Panini’s Silver Prizm is simply undeniable.
Any true Ja Morant fan and collector needs to get themselves a Silver Prizm before their collection can actually be considered complete.
Also Check Out: Giannis Antetokounmpo
3. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Chronicles Luminance Rookie Card
Ah yes, the missed dunk heard round the world. Poor, poor Kevin Love. This dunk attempt by Ja was so nasty, it could almost be considered a hate crime.
It was such a baller move by Panini to put this on a trading card. Just look at it...CROTCH. TO. FACE. YIKES.
And the best part about this Ja Morant rookie card is that it’s cheap. Hurry up and pick one up for yourself today.
Also Check Out: Allen Iverson
4. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Contenders Cracked Ice Ticket Auto /25 Rookie Card
We’re a big fan of Panini’s Cracked Ice parallels. Add them to the unique game ticket feel of the 2019-20 Panini Contenders Ja Morant and you have yourself a winning combination.
If you're on a bit of a budget, you'll probably want to look out for a raw version if it exists, otherwise, you're looking at $20,000 or so for a BGS 9.5 or PSA 10.
Also Check Out: LeBron James
5. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Spectra Color Blast Rookie Card
The price tag on the 2019-20 Ja Morant Spectra Color Blast is not for the faint of heart. But we promise that the way your heart will flutter once it’s in your possession will be totally worth it. (Sports Card Sharks is not responsible if you stroke out after purchasing.)
I think my new life goal once Covid is over is to do one of those color run things and re-enact my own Color Blast for a personal LOL.
Also Check Out: Michael Jordan
6. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Obsidian Rookie Card
Bruh. The Grizzlies’ throwback unis are so fuego. And the way the uniform pops off the black and white background is so money, you don’t even know it.
What I love about sets like Obsidian is that the print runs tend to be a lot lower than other sets and we’re all about short prints and rarity.
Also Check Out: Kobe Bryant
7. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Court Kings Level 3 Rookie Card
Did we mention that we’re about the aesthetics? The Ja Morant Court Kings Level III is definitely on brand for us.
Pretty sure we’d literally take any Court Kings Level 3 rookie from the 2019-20 class, because the cards are just that sick.
Also Check Out: Anthony Edwards
8. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Noir Vintage Art /25 Rookie Card
If you can find a Noir in good condition, it is a must-buy in our opinion. Be warned, the corners and edges on these babies get dinged up easily.
I think Panini’s quality assurance people may have been too busy rolling around in money when these came off the line.
Still, you can’t deny the freshness of these cards. And again, with the high price tags, low print runs, and lack of ripping… the rarity of these rookie cards are wonderful for collectors.
For the Ja Morant Panini Noir Vintage Art, we love the double imagery and how the black and white image and in-color image play off one another.
Also Check Out: LaMelo Ball
9. 2019-20 Ja Morant Donruss Optic Holo #168 Rookie Card
Another classic. The 2019-20 Ja Morant Optic Holo is a must-have for any Ja collector.
The Donruss Optic sets are always 2nd fiddle to the Panini Prizms, but we love them nonetheless.
Also Check Out: Shaq
10. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Select Concourse Silver Rookie Card
Oh great, another Silver on the list. We’re sorry but the Silvers just hit different.
You’re probably asking yourself why we chose the Concourse over the Premier or the Courtside? We just can’t help but love Ja Morant straight flexin’ on this card. It has BDE and we’re about that life.
Oh and if you wanna shake things up a bit, the Tri Color version of this is fire too.
Also Check Out: Kevin Durant
11. 2019-20 Ja Morant National Treasures Apprentice Ink Rookie Card
We’ll be honest, the National Treasures set is well outside of most people’s price range. These tend to be the rarest of the bunch.
However, if you’re a big baller and are looking to throw down a nice chunk of change, most collector’s will tell you that the Ja Morant National Treasures is the creme de la creme.
There are a number to choose from but we personally like the Apprentice Ink /25.
Also Check Out: Stephen Curry
12. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Mosaic Genesis Rookie Card
The 2019-20 Mosaic set was probably one of the biggest surprises of this year’s releases. Panini really stepped their game up with the Mosaics and many would argue that they were better than the Optics this year.
You add in the rarity factor of the Genesis Prizm and we are ALL ABOUT IT.
Also Check Out: Luka Doncic
13. 2019-20 Ja Morant Opulence #33 SSP /39 Rookie Card
Damn, Daniel...Again with the Grizzlies throwbacks??? Give us all the throwbacks please.
Similar to the Obsidian rookie, we love the way the Grizzlies throwback teal pops off the black and white.
This Ja Morant 1st year is a really nice mid-tier card.
Also Check Out: Joel Embiid
14. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Origins Dunking Rookie Card
The Origins cards are so underrated it’s not even funny. We're not even sure that collector’s that are new to the game even know about it yet. Hopefully, this will help shine some light on them.
The way Ja Morant is floating through the air on this one is so Jordan-esque.
The Origins are tough to find so if you see one, make sure to snatch it up quick.
Also Check Out: Trae Young
15. 2019-20 Ja Morant Panini Certified Graffiti Rookie Card
Lastly, we have another “cheaper” Ja Morant rookie card option that we think you’ll love.
We’re obsessed with the Graffiti graphic on this card and we love how it brings in a hip-hop essence that has forever been synonymous with basketball.
Also Check Out: Devin Booker
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About the Author:
Trevor Weitzel is the founder of Sports Card Sharks. His pro sports teams are the Timberwolves, Vikings and Twins (which is rough). If we’re talking college then we’re only talking the University of Arizona Wildcats – BEAR DOWN! He is also an avid reseller, crypto enthusiast, and digital marketer.