Jayson Tatum came into the NBA in the 2017-18 season, with the Boston Celtics, and he’s since established himself as one of the best current players in the league.
Tatum’s rookie cards have seen plenty of interest in the basketball card hobby, with his steady rise over his career; His best, and most expensive, rookie is his 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph card – I’ve covered that, and his other best rookie cards further down.
His potential as a rookie was clear to see, and it didn’t take him long to reach All-Star level – He’s now been an NBA All-Star multiple times, and hoping to become one of the all-time great Celtics players.
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Quick Summary - Top Picks
The Best Jayson Tatum Rookie Cards
Licensed rookie cards for Jayson Tatum were included in Panini releases throughout the 2017-18 season lineup.
There are plenty of options for collectors, with different value entry points – Let’s take a look at the best Jayson Tatum base and autographed rookie cards. I haven’t included any of his first year inserts on this list.
2017-18 Panini Flawless Jayson Tatum #78
Starting with a card from the super-premium Panini Flawless set, the 2017-18 Jayson Tatum rookie card is embedded with a diamond.
It’s a top-tier option considering the base card is limited and numbered to just 20 copies, with 4 parallels which take the total cards to 38 – They’re very rare and hard to get hold of.
The classy design of the flawless card as well as the embedded gem give this one big appeal.
2017-18 Panini Prizm Jayson Tatum #16
Next on the list of the best Jayson Tatum rookie cards is this 2017-18 Panini Prizm card.
Prizm is the king of chrome options for many collectors, and the Prizm rookie cards are generally a popular go-to choice for collectors with lower budgets, due to the large supply.
The base card is readily available to buy without any issues, but for collectors who are looking for a rare and more valuable chase, there are also the array of parallels that Prizm has become known for, some of which are very low-numbered.
A PSA 10 graded copy of the Green Prizms parallel (/5) sold for $45.6k in 2022, which makes it one of the most valuable unsigned Tatum rookies.
2017-18 Immaculate Collection Jayson Tatum #17
Another premium unsigned option for a Jayson Tatum rookie card comes from the 2017-18 Immaculate Collection.
Rookies got the usual auto patch card release that we’re accustomed to seeing for Immaculate sets, but there’s also the option of this regular base card, which holds the brand prestige.
It’s limited and numbered to 75 copies, with a few more limited parallel options.
2017-18 Panini Impeccable Jayson Tatum #45
Coming from another one of the year’s most high-end NBA releases, the 2017-18 Impeccable Jayson Tatum rookie card is also a numbered regular base card.
With 99 copies and a few parallels, the classy card design with the brand name, offers collectors another premium option.
2017-18 Donruss Optic Jayson Tatum #198
A mainstream and popular chrome release, the 2017-18 Donruss Optic set features the collector-favorite Rated Rookie; Tatum’s Rated Rookie card is one of his best and most popular unsigned rookies.
Like Prizm, it’s a popular base card that’s easily accessible to the masses, but supplemented with a large parallel rainbow, to give collectors with all budgets something to consider.
The 1-of-1 Black parallel version sold for $43.2k, in 2023, which makes it one of the most expensive Jayson Tatum unsigned rookies.
2017-18 Panini Noir Jayson Tatum #99 & #199
There are two different Jayson Tatum base rookie cards from the 2017-18 Panini Noir set.
Both cards have a similar design, which have the same dark-themed design. They’re also both numbered to 79 copies.
The cards fit together to form the Celtics logo.
With only a couple of parallels for each, which take the total print-runs to 105, they’re not easy to get hold of.
The Best Autographed Jayson Tatum Rookie Cards
2017-18 Panini Contenders Jayson Tatum Autograph #103
Panini Contenders, with the Rookie Ticket line, is a popular mainstay of the Panini lineup. In my opinion, this is one of Tatum’s best rookie cards.
The 2017-18 Contenders Jayson Tatum rookie card features an on-card signature, and is numbered to 125 copies, with multiple limited parallels for an even harder chase.
A BGS 9.5 graded copy of the Gold Prizms parallel (/10) sold for $28.8k in 2022.
There’s also a variation version, numbered to 75 copies, which has a different image, and a horizontal layout.
2017-18 Panini Cornerstones Jayson Tatum Autograph Quad Jersey #153
Another higher-end option is the 2017-18 Panini Cornerstones rookie card, which offers collectors something slightly different.
The hard-signed autograph is supplemented with four memorabilia swatches in each corner of the image to make for a distinctive looking card.
With 199 numbered copies, as well as some parallels, it’s one of the easier Jayson Tatum auto rookie cards to find.
2017-18 Immaculate Collection Jayson Tatum Autograph Patch #126
One of the most premium and valuable Jayson Tatum rookie cards comes from the 2017-18 Immaculate Collection.
We’ve already looked at the standard unsigned base card as a good option, but this autograph-patch card is on another level to that.
A hard-signed autograph, with a small patch, it’s limited to 99 copies, with the parallels taking the total cards to 138 – If you can find one, it’ll come with a big price tag, but a lot less than the National Treasures RPA, so it offers a good alternative.
2017-18 Panini National Treasures Jayson Tatum Autograph Patch #103
As is the case for most modern NBA rookies, the king rookie card comes from Panini National Treasures; It’s a line that has become well-associated with the most valuable rookie cards.
If budget is no concern, then there’s no better option; For me, and many collectors, this is the top Jayson Tatum rookie card – The large patch and NT brand prestige gives it the edge over the Immaculate RPA card.
It also has the on-card signature and low print-run of 99, making it the perfect super-premium Jayson Tatum rookie card option, if you can get one.
A PSA 10 graded copy of the base version sold for $193.2k in 2022; It’s Tatum’s most expensive rookie to buy.
There are some low-numbered parallel options as well.
When Was Jayson Tatum’s Rookie Season?
Jayson Tatum’s rookie season was the 2017-18 NBA season – He was selected as the 3rd overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2017 NBA Draft.
What Is The Most Valuable Jayson Tatum Rookie Card?
The most expensive and valuable Jayson Tatum rookie card is the 2017-18 Panini National Treasures auto patch card (#103), which is limited to 99 numbered copies.
A copy of the base card has sold for as much as $193.2k before, and there have been multiple sales of over $100k.
What Is The Rarest Jayson Tatum Base Rookie Card?
The rarest Jayson Tatum base rookie card is the 2017-18 Panini Flawless embedded diamond RC (#78), which is limited to just 20 numbered copies.
