Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Dončić entered the National Basketball Association as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Slovenian, who has been by far the best player of his draft class, goes by many nicknames, including the nostalgic Cool Hand Luka. Mostly, he is known by either his first or last name because he is such a recognizable figure in sports circles.
The basketball prodigy, who was born to parents who later divorced, followed his father to his basketball games. Dončić grew up playing a variety of sports, but due to his rapid growth spurt, the godson of retired NBA player Rasho Nesterović decided to focus on basketball. He would sweep floors at his father's games for KK Olimpija in Ljubljana, Slovenia. At eight years old, Luka's skills allowed him to play with 11-year-olds, and at nine, he could stand toe to toe with the 14-year-old youth basketball players. The future NBA star was already well on his way to becoming a basketball superstar even before he was the age of 10.
His stellar professional basketball career began even before playing in the NBA. He won the Spanish basketball league Liga ACB's championship three times in addition to a EuroLeague championship and MVP in 2018. He also was selected for the EuroLeague All-Decade Team for his excellent play with Real Madrid from 2015 to 2018.
Just 126 games into his NBA career, he has taken the basketball world by storm. After winning the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year award and being named the 2019 *Sports Illustrated* Breakout Player of the Year, he made his first All-Star Game in his second season. Now just 21 years old, Luka is averaging 28.7 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game this season. Just six other players accomplished those numbers in their second NBA season, and all of them are Hall of Famers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Oscar Robertson, Bob McAdoo, and Elgin Baylor.
Although Luka may not live up to their historic resumes, his short career thus far with the Mavericks has him looking like Michael Jordan, who is being featured in The Last Dance Documentary. No. 23 owned the record of consecutive games (18) with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 1989. MJ's record no longer stands, as Luka went for 20, five, and five in 20 straight contests in November and December 2019.
Luka is not only "like Mike," but he is also like his role model LeBron James and even better in certain categories. Although Anthony Davis may help LeBron add to his championship total, Luka is making a statement with lesser skill playing around him. During Dončić's two years in the NBA, he has one more triple-double than LeBron, and Luka's 22 career triple-doubles are already the most in Mavericks franchise history. In addition, Dončić would already have the franchise-best triple-double total for 15 other franchises. Luka is the next face of the NBA, and here are the Best 15 Luka Dončić Rookie Cards sold on eBay over the last 90 days.
#15
2018 Panini Revolution Luka Dončić Rookie Revolution Galactic #1
Recent sale: $6,250
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This BGS Black Label card had the best offer accepted on eBay. The original list price was $25,000, but the card was sold for $6,250. Of the 12 cards in the BGS population, there are just two BGS Black Labels. There is one parallel of this card that would have made this top 15 list.
An important aspect of this 2018 Panini Revolution card is the Eye of God tattoo found on his left forearm. Dončić's left forearm is where the majority of his tattoos are found. The other prominent tattoos on his forearm are the tiger and number "7". He has the tiger tattoo because he has said that, like Mike Tyson, he would like to buy a tiger. He has yet to purchase one though. No. 7, his lucky number, was his jersey number for Real Madrid, and Luka currently wears No. 77 for the Mavericks.
#14
2018 Panini National Treasures Luka Dončić Rookie Materials Super Prime #4 #'d/1
Recent sale: $7,000
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This card is the only one of its kind that has been submitted to PSA or BGS. The original list price was $14,999.99, but the card was sold for $7,000. Not often do the highest-selling Luka Dončić cards have him in a home Mavericks jersey, but this card shows white-jerseyed Luka gripping the basketball between two hands.
The jersey patch for this 2018 card is a three-toned part of his road jersey. This Panini set includes a total of 4,684 unique cards, and this card is one of the most valuable Luka Dončić National Treasures cards. In the set, there are 37 unique Dončić cards, eight of which are autograph cards. The only active players with more unique cards than Luka in this set are Kyrie Irving (47) and Kevin Durant (45).
#13
2018 Panini Flawless Luka Dončić Star Swatch Signatures #2 #'d/25
Recent sale: $7,589
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The listing of this 2018 Panini Flawless Luka card is BGS 9.5. There have been 10 Dončić Star Swatch Signatures cards submitted to BGS, and three of them are BGS 9.5.
In this card, Luka is showing off the Mavericks swingman jersey, which is not very common for his cards. The other rare aspect of this Star Swatch Signatures card is the type of signature. Typically in Luka's playful "Lulu" signature, he signs his "L"s in a similar way, but with the first "L" being larger. This autograph card differs from his typical signature because he has not connected the two aspects of the "L."
The patch for this Star Swatch Signatures Green card includes gray, white, and navy blue. The back of the card describes the importance of Luka's relationship with fellow Slovenian Goran Dragić. The card includes Dragić's impressively accurate description of Dončić before Luka even joined the NBA. The two All-Stars were roommates while playing for the Slovenian national team. In 2017, they were both on the EuroBasket All-Tournament Team, and Dragić won the EuroBasket MVP.
#12
2018 Panini Flawless Luka Dončić Signature Prime Materials Green #31 #'d/5
Recent sale: $7,600
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The listing of this card is BGS 9 and is similar to the No. 13 Luka card on this list. Both of the cards are part of the 2018 Panini Flawless set. According to the PSA and BGS websites, there have been just three Signature Prime Materials cards submitted, two of which are BGS 9 and the other is BGS 9.5.
The differences between the No. 13 and No. 12 cards are the following: Luka is fashioning his road Mavericks jersey on the front of the green card. On the back of the card is a generic description of the Slovenian. The jersey patch for this card includes what appears to be the navy and royal blue "D" in the away Dallas uniform.
The autograph also differs in the two cards. The Signature Prime Materials signature is more of a typical one by Dončić: it has a regular large loop that is fully connected for his first "L."
#11
2018 Panini Prizm Luka Dončić Sensational Signatures Prizms Gold #63 #'d/10
Recent sale: $7,878
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Luka's typical card signature returns for this 2018 Panini Prizm Sensational Signatures card. The listing of this card is BGS 10 with a 10 Autograph. There has not been a PSA submission of this card, but there have been four submissions to BGS: two of them are BGS 9.5 and one is BGS 10.
This signature card is a very simple one. With the exception of the yellow and blue border on the front and the small circular Mavericks logos on both sides, there is not much to see. Dončić is seen dribbling the basketball in the same image on both sides, and there is a mostly blue and white border on the back.
#10
2018 Panini Immaculate Luka Dončić Premium Patch Autographs Red #PP-LDC #'d/14
Recent sale: $9,125
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Luka also has a similar signature for this Premium Patch Autographs Redcard. This is the only card of its kind that has been submitted to PSA or BGS. The listing of this card is BGS 9.5.
The right-sided image of Luka in his skyline jersey is of him dribbling the basketball. During Luka's rookie season, he ranked 19th in the league with 6.0 assists per game. In his second year, he has boosted his passing skills and is currently ranked fourth in the NBA with 8.7 assists per game. His career-high in assists (17) came on January 15, 2020: on that day, Luka notched his 18th triple-double of his career against the Sacramento Kings.
#9
2018 Panini Donruss Optic Luka Dončić Black Velocity Rated Rookie #177 #'d/39
Recent sale: $10,000
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This flashy Luka card is one of 16 BGS 9.5 cards. There has been a total of 21 cards of this kind that have been submitted to BGS. This 2018 Panini Donruss card is the only Donruss card among the top 15 Luka Dončić Rookie Cards.
Although the card describes him as becoming a fan favorite, he is more than just a fan favorite. He is the star of the Mavericks, as he has the fourth-best player efficiency rating in the league this season. He and Kristaps Porziņģis have the 2019-20 Mavericks in a very good position heading into the postseason.
Although their winning percentage is seventh in the Western Conference, the Mavericks have arguably been one of the NBA's best teams in the 2019-20 season. The Mavericks have been fun to watch this season and have the best offense in the league, and for those reasons, the 2019-20 attendance at American Airlines Center is the best in the NBA.
#8
2018 Panini Select Luka Dončić Prizms Green #229 #'d/5
Recent sale: $10,000
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This Luka card is even flashier than No. 7 and is a BGS 10. This 2018 Panini Select card is a PSA 10. There have been just three cards of this kind that have been submitted to BGS, and one of them is a BGS 10. The original list price was $16,000, but the card was sold for $10,000. There is one parallel of this card that would have made this top 15 list.
Dončić has been very capable of draining jumpers thus far during his NBA career. He made 92 unassisted shots in fourth quarters and overtimes during his rookie year. In his sophomore season, he has made the 13th-most shots overall and 20th-most 3-pointers in the NBA.
#7
2018 Panini Cornerstones Luka Dončić Onyx Jersey Autograph #153 #'d/1
Recent sale: $10,099
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This flashy Luka card is BGS 9 card, and it is the one card of this kind that has been submitted to BGS. There have not been any of these cards submitted to PSA. The card includes his customary autograph in addition to four unique parts of his jersey. This 2018 Panini Cornerstones card is the only Cornerstone card among the best Luka Dončić rookie cards.
Dončić, who is pictured in this card turned to the side, can be ready to attempt a shot from this position. In Dončić's final year with Real Madrid, he averaged 14.5 points per game, and he has almost doubled that number in his second season in the NBA. Since having 1.5 made 3-pointers per game in his final international season, Luka has been able to build on his 3-point shot in the NBA. Luka averaged 2.3 made 3-pointers per game in his rookie year and 2.9 per game in his sophomore campaign.
#6
2018 Panini Flawless Luka Dončić Vertical Patch Autographs Ruby #25 #'d/15
Recent sale: $10,300
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Luka is flying through the air for a layup in his home jersey for this 2018 Panini Flawless card. The royal blue, grey, and white jersey patch card is one of the five BGS 9.5 of its kind that has been submitted to BGS. No other Vertical Patch Autographs Ruby cards have been submitted to BGS or PSA.
In his rookie year, Dončić made 146 of his 263 layup attempts for a .555 field goal percentage. His sophomore season was much improved though: 214 made layups in 317 attempts (.675). During his career, his layups have been assisted more at home than they have been on the road.
#5
2018 Panini Flawless Luka Dončić Premium Edition Platinum #7 #'d/1
Recent sale: $12,000
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Young Luka appears in this card dribbling with another home jersey. There is just one Premium Edition Platinum card that has been submitted to BGS, and there have been none for PSA. Among the top 15, this $12,000 card is the highest-priced 2018 Panini Flawless one.
During his career, he has dribbled his way to a very high usage rate. During his rookie year, he had the 11th-highest usage percentage, and this season, he has been the second-highest rate.
The back of the card details his eighth career triple-double. The card does not include that Dončić grabbed a season-high 16 boards in the 120-109 Mavericks victory over the Phoenix Suns on April 9, 2019. Just two days later, Luka was announced as the winner of the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, completing his perfect resume as the Rookie of the Month in every 2018-19 month.
#4
2018 Panini Prizm Luka Dončić Prizms Green Pulsar #280 #'d/25
Recent sale: $14,000
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This Luka Dončić rookie card list price was $18,000, but this PSA 10 card was sold for $14,000. There are seven parallels of this card that would have made this top 15 list. There have been 11 PSA submissions of this kind of card, and three of them have been PSA 10. Of the 17 BGS submissions, one is BGS 10 and six are BGS 9.5.
This Prizms Green Pulsar card highlights his tutelage under NBA great and future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. In the centered image of one of the greatest Luka rookie cards, Luka is fading away with a Dirk-like shot.
With the 2018-19 season being Nowitzki's last one in the NBA, he was able to hand off the team's unofficial captainship to Dončić. Nowitzki, who was a 12-time All-Star and won a championship in 2011, said that Luka played better during his rookie season than Dirk did more than two decades ago. The German superstar also remarked that Luka's rookie season surpassed his expectations.
The back of the card, which sports the same image as the front, includes some interesting information regarding Dončić's entrance into the NBA and his jersey number choice in addition to his international statistics.
#3
2018 Panini Immaculate Collection Luka Dončić Rookie Patch Autographs Jersey Number #124 #'d/77
Recent sale: $17,500
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The original list price was $77,777. The seller of this BGS 9.5 card must have not been as excited about getting a different repeating number related to its price. He had to divide his list price by 4.44 times: the card that pictured young Luka was sold for $17,500.
Luka shares autograph cards with Trae Young, Marvin Bagley III, and Donte DiVincenzo in the 2018 Panini Immaculate Collection set. Out of the almost 100,000 Immaculate Collection cards, there are an impressive 1,150 Luka cards.
Although the jersey patch in the Panini Immaculate Collection card is not the same as the one Luka is pictured in, both are terrific jerseys. The home jersey, which is not as common among the most valuable Luka Dončić cards, is in the patch.
Meanwhile, Dončić is pictured in the rarer Mavericks swingman jersey, which showcases the circular Mavericks logo as well as the Nike and 5miles insignias.
#2
2018 Panini Contenders Luka Dončić Cracked Ice Ticket #122 #'d/20
Recent sale: $18,250
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This 2018 Panini Contenders card has been rated as BGS 9.5 with a 10 Autograph. The original list price for this card was $23,999.99, but the card was sold for $18,250. There have been two cards of this kind submitted to PSA, and one of them is PSA 10. Of the 12 BGS submissions, 10 of them are BGS 9.5.
The cracked ice design borders the image of Dončić surveying the court, as he keeps the ball below his chin. The basketball is covering the Nike and 5miles insignias on this card, which is not common among the highest-selling Luka cards. The Mavericks organization has since ended its partnership with local e-commerce company 5miles and began a new one with digital-only bank Chime.
#1
2018 Panini National Treasures Luka Dončić Gold Patch Autograph #127 #'d/10
Recent sale: $310,000
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The original list price was $399,999.99, but don't fret if you don’t have $399,999.99. This BGS 9.5 card sold for a mere $310,000. There are three parallels of this card that would have made this top 15 list: their prices ranged from $15,000 to $55,100. There are no PSA submissions of this Gold Patch Autograph card, but there have been seven to BGS: four of them are BGS 9.5.
Sporting his road jersey in this 2018 Panini National Treasures card, Dončić is using his right foot to rise into a shot. The jersey patch has three tones - black, white, and royal blue. In the set, there are 1,112 Luka cards and a total of more than 136,000 cards.
Conclusion
With Luka Dončić's career continuing to skyrocket, the value of his cards will keep increasing as well. His 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game in 2019-20 have only been duplicated by Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. Robertson accomplished the feat three times.
In 2020 NBA playoffs, Luka will be leading the Mavericks on the court while two-time champion Rick Carlisle will be leading the team in the huddle. Carlisle, a New York native, won a championship as a player with the Boston Celtics in 1986 and another as the head coach of the Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki in 2011.
Luka will be hoping to double Carlisle's coaching championship total soon. Although the Mavericks have not made the playoffs since 2016 and not many of the Dallas players have playoff experience, Carlisle will bring this team together.
While Dončić and company may not have enough firepower to take down LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers in 2020, Mark Cuban will never give up. Therefore, Luka's chance at future titles will be high.
The Mavericks are by no means the favorite to win the 2020 championship, but maybe Cuban can get the Mavericks their own big three next season: Luka Dončić, Kristaps Porziņģis, and a player to be traded for later.
Dallas is the NBA team of the future, and Luka is the NBA's face of the future. He is ready to take on the league, and the value of his top basketball cards will continue to climb higher and higher every day.
