Just because Jabari Parker was the second overall draft choice does not mean that all fans and collectors view him as the runner-up in any capacity. The preseason favorite for Rookie of the Year is still one of the top collecting options despite a serious injury and and most expect big things when he returns.
After an impressive high school career that resulted in a consensus top five ranking among 2013 college recruits, Jabari Parker made the decision to play for the Duke University. He only spent one season with the Blue Devils, but was generally regarded as one of the top freshman in the country. Parker was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and was a consensus All-American.
Jabari Parker officially declared for the NBA draft in April of 2014. A virtual lock for the top three and a possibility for the top overall selection, Parker was taken second overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. Although the Bucks have struggled in recent years, the team brought in Jason Kidd as the new head coach and Parker will play alongside other young talents like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brandon Knight and John Henson.
While his start was not as dominant as many anticipated, Jabari Parker led all rookies in scoring after the first month of play and was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November. Unfortunately, as he seemed to be building on his success, Jabari Parker tore his ACL in mid-December, ending his rookie season early. Despite this setback, there is no reason to believe he won't come back strong and collectors remain bullish on the young star.
Below, collectors can find all the official rookie options for Jabari Parker from 2014-15 products. Notable pre-rookies for Parker are shown following the rookies. Jabari Parker also has two early Panini cards in 2013-14 Intrigue and Signatures that were originally inserted as redemptions.
Jabari Parker Rookie Card Guide
Click on the images or listings to shop for singles on eBay.
2014-15 Donruss Jabari Paker RC #202
Returning after several years, the Rated Rookie subset in 2014-15 Donruss includes a solid base rookie for Jabari Parker. Collectors can take things up a notch with several parallels.
2014-15 NBA Hoops Jabari Parker RC #262
The first official rookie card for Jabari Parker can be found in 2014-15 Hoops. As the first product of the year, the low-end offering receives additional attention. Also, rookie autographs are available for most of the top players and that includes Parker.
2014-15 Panini Court Kings Jabari Parker RC #102, #135 (#/225), #168 (#/149), #201 (#/49), #234 (#/10)
With an artistic design that really stands out, the main 2014-15 Court Kings set offers five Jabari Parker cards with increasing rarity. The main base card, below on the left, is not numbered, and the remaining four cards start at 225 copies and decrease quickly from there.
2014-15 Panini Excalibur Jabari Parker RC #157
Part of a retail-exclusive release, Excalibur offers one of the most distinct base rookie cards for Jabari Parker. While the value is low, the visual appeal is strong.
2014-15 Panini Flawless Jabari Parker RC #193 Diamond #/20
Rare and bejeweled, Flawless takes collecting beyond the traditional expectations, with a price tag to match. The base version features a diamond and the Emerald parallel (#/5) is shown below. There is also college version that include Parker during his time with Duke.
2014-15 Panini Gala Jabari Parker RC #86 #/8
The rarest of all the Jabari Parker rookie cards, don't expect to see this card pop up often, if at all. While it cannot match the attributes of the many high-end options, a rookie card with print run of just eight copies is hard to top.
2014-15 Panini Gold Standard Jabari Parker RC #202 Autographed Jersey #/199, #235 Dual jersey Auto #/149, #268 Triple Jersey Auto #/99
Part of a popular brand for basketball collectors, 2014-15 Gold Standard offers three different Jabari Parker cards with increasing rarity and jersey pieces along with an on-card autograph.
2014-15 Panini Immaculate Collection Jabari Parker RC #102 Autographed Jersey #/99
Outside of National Treasures, no brand commands high-end prices like Immaculate Collection. The premium design, on-card signature and print run of 99 makes this one of the best overall rookie cards for Jabari Parker.
2014-15 Panini National Treasures Jabari Parker RC #102 Autographed Jersey #/99
A favorite with rookie collectors since its inception, National Treasures does not disappoint on this Jabari Parker rookie card that features a large patch, on-card signature and limited print run.
2014-15 Panini Noir Jabari Parker RC #98 B/W #/99, #198 Color #/99
Even with the limited prints runs, these dual rookies for Jabari Parker have proven to be fairly inexpensive. Contrasting nicely, one version includes a black-and-white image while the other features a different color shot of  Parker.
2014-15 Panini Paramount Jabari Parker RC #27, #77 SP
Bringing the 1990s to the present day, 2014-15 Paramount is a Dufex-themed product with a lot going on. In addition to the base card shown on the left, there is also a limited variation card for Jabari Parker.
2014-15 Panini Preferred Jabari Parker RC #20 Autograph #/35, #201 Auto #/49, #315 Auto Jersey #/99, #336 Auto #/49, #367 Auto #/49, #583 Auto #/50
A set or player collector's nightmare, 2014-15 Preferred has six autographs for Jabari Parker in the base set. Each features a different design and a print run of 99 or less. The Silhouettes autographed jersey card is arguably his top card in Preferred despite having double the print run of any other card.
2014-15 Panini Prestige Jabari Parker RC #162
Another early release, Prestige is a hybrid product that is available to collectors of all budgets and the packs and boxes are found exclusively at Target. The product has three different tiers, with a base version, foil-covered Plus version and a Premium edition with a thicker stock and quality finish. All three can be seen below.
2014-15 Panini Prizm Jabari Parker RC #252
A new staple of the NBA card market, Prizm remains Panini's basketball answer to Topps Chrome. With the same design as 2014 Prizm Football, many collectors will find the base rookie for Jabari Parker to be familiar. A large amount of Prizm parallels present a challenging and colorful rainbow. There is also a variation insert card that is easy to distinguish based on the "DRAFT14" text in the design.
2014-15 Panini Select Jabari Parker RC #99 (Concourse), #144 (Premier), #293 (Courtside)
Continuing a theme of multiple card options in the base set, the Jabari Parker rookie cards in 2014-15 Select includes a silver and gold scheme on three different designs. The main version is the Concourse card on the left, while the Concourse and Premier cards are less common.
2014-15 Panini Spectra Jabari Parker RC #101 Autographed Jersey
Loud and flashy, 2014-15 Spectra has all the features of modern rookie, but prices are kept in check by the sticker autograph. The Jabari Parker rookie card also has multiple Prizm parallels with added rarity and different colors.
2014-15 Panini Stickers Jabari Parker RC #124, #120 Foil
Great for kids and budget collectors, Panini Stickers is an easy and largely inexpensive way to collect current NBA cards. There are two cards avaiable for Jabari Parker, including a base option and a foil card.
2014-15 Panini Threads Jabari Parker RC #202 (Team Jersey Die-Cut), #248 (Leather), #293 (Micro Etch), #338 (Wood)
Like Prestige, 2014-15 Threads is only found at Target. However, the diverse product includes four different cards for Jabari Parker in the base set, each with a different technology.
2014-15 Totally Certified Jabari Parker RC #142
Fundamentally similar to Prizm, Totally Certified also utilizes embossing along with a bevy of parallels. Jabari Parker is included in the short print variations group and his base rookie is shown below on the left and the variation is on the right.
Notable Jabari Parker Pre-Rookie Cards
2014 NBA Hoops Summer League Promo Jabari Parker
These limited promo cards were only found at summer events for the NBA and borrow the 2014-15 Hoops design. Despite the generic look, the rare cards for Jabari Parker maintain good values.
2014 Panini National Convention Jabari Parker
Part of Panini's 2014 National promotional sets, cards for Parker were found in the set for NSCC VIPs and also in the special VIP party packs.
2013 Sports Illustrated For Kids Jabari Parker #242
More of a fun novelty than actual card, the SI for Kids magazine has included cards for some time. Collectors can find Jabari Parker's first card in the June 2013 edition. Parker is featured on a nine-card perforated sheet with Russell Wilson, Tiger Woods, John Tavares, Yu Darvish and Maria Sharapova.
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