8 Most ExpensiveJoel Embiid Basketball Cards

JoJo, The Process, Troel Embiid. Whatever you call him, there's no doubt the massive Sixers center is a top talent in the NBA today. So let's see if the prices of his basketball cards are similar. But before we get to the list of Joel Embiids most expensive basketball cards, keep reading to learn a little bit about Joel Embiid. 

Who is Joel Embiid?

Joel Embiid is the all-star center of the Philadephia 76ers, the crown jewel of “the Process,” a tanking effort led by the team to secure high draft picks. He was born in Cameroon and played only one year of college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted 3rd overall in the 2014 NBA draft. While he arguably deserved to be drafted 1st overall, injury concerns at the time made teams and GMs wary about picking him so high on the board.

And when we discuss Embiid, we must discuss his injuries throughout his young basketball career. First, he underwent surgery on a broken navicular bone in his foot before he played his first NBA game. That injury led to Embiid missing the entire 2014-15 season. To make matters worse, a CT scan showed less healing than anticipated, and he was forced to miss the following season, 2015-16. This was devastating news for both Embiid and Philadephia fans. In his first season, he played only 33 total games before suffering a torn meniscus that would cause him to miss the rest of the season. At this point, fans were worried they would never see Embiid reach the potential he showed, as in the games he did appear in, he dominated with his sheer size, skill, and athleticism.

Luckily, Embiid has been incredible over the last couple of seasons. He's been resistant to injury, a perennial MVP candidate, and ended the 2021-22 season as the league's leading scorer. He's led a renaissance of the dominant NBA big man alongside Nikola Jokic, who he has battled for the MVP the last couple of NBA seasons. 

That brings us to the list of Joel Embiid's most expensive cards. For a player as skilled, dominant, and incredibly diverse as Embiid, the value of his cards aren't as high as it should be. This could be because of fans' reluctance to invest in a player with injury concerns, but with a strong of healthy seasons under his belt, it might be a good investment moving forward. And if he manages to get an MVP under his belt? It's no doubt the value would skyrocket.

2014-15 Panini Gold Prizm #253 Joel Embiid Rookie Card

The most expensive Joel Embiid basketball card is a 2014 Panini Prizm Joel Embiid Rookie card, #253, which sold for $50,400 on May 24th, 2021. The GEM MT rating is a perfect 10, and the card features a noticeably younger Joel Embiid, highlighted by a gold background.

Unsurprisingly, the highest price was secured during the season Embiid secured his first scoring title, topping the league with a scoring average of 30.6 points per game. Alongside his scoring, he averaged an impressive 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.

2014-15 Panini “National Treasures” Joel Embiid Jersey Autograph Platinum #103 

The second most expensive Joel Embiid basketball card is a Panini “National Treasures” Autographed Jersey Patch from Embiids rookie season. It sold for $42,000 on January 23rd, 2022. The GEM MT rating is 9.

Again, with most of these basketball card lists dominated by National Treasures Jersey Patch cards, such as Jayson Tatum's, Anthony Davis', or Chris Paul's, it's no surprise to see Joel Embiids fetch quite a hefty price.

Embiid was drafted in 2014 but didn't play his rookie season until 2016-17. However, he showcased his talent enough that despite only playing 33 total games, he was selected for a sport on the All-Rookie 1st Team. The 1st Team featured Malcolm Brogdan, Joel Embiid, Willy Hernangomez, Buddy Hield, and Dario Saric.

2014-15 Prizm Photo Variations Black Joel Embiid Rookie Card

$27,400.00

This Panini Prizms Joel Embiid card is a different style than the most expensive card on this list. The black holographic background features the 2014 Draft logo, in which Embiid was selected behind Jayhawk teammates Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker and ahead of Aaron Gordan and Dante Exum. Its GEM MT rating is a pristine 10, and the card sold for $27,400 on February 12th, 2022.

Embiid attended the University of Kansas for one year and was named a top-30 finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year. He played 28 games and averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. He earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Second-Team All-Big 12. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, he did not appear in the Big 12 Tournament or the NCAA tournament after suffering a stress fracture in his back.

2014 Select Signatures Prizm Black Joel Embiid ROOKIE AUTO 1/1 #RSJE BGS 9 MINT

$26,400.00

This 2014 Joel Embiid Prizms Black Autographed Rookie Card sold for $26,400 on April 16th, 2022. Unlike the Prizms Black Joel Embiid Rookie above, you'll notice that this card's background offers a pixelated background to add its unique flair. With an autograph rated 10, and an overall GEM MT rating of 9, it'd be a great card to add to your collection.

The back of the card reads as follows:

Seven feet of defensive dominance. Embiid brngsin some not-so-freiendly- shot-blocking skils to the City of Brotherly Love. Using the volleyball techniqueshe honed while growing up in CAmeroon, the spring-legged center skies to the raftors and spikes the ball right back to the floor with incredible velocity.

2014-15 Panini National Treasures Gold Joel Embiid Signed Patch Rookie Card

$24,840.00

Encapsulated and graded GEM MINT 9.5 by BGS, with signature graded “10” by Beckett. Rookie Card. The mid-pass image of Sixers star Joel Embiid is presented, along with his blue ink signature and a spectacularly breathtaking, multi-colored player worn patch relic, on this debut-year “Gold” collectible from National Treasures. The card's BGS condition report: Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 9.5. A statement on the card affirms the manufacturer's guarantee of authenticity for the piece's content, and serves as the item's COA. The limited-edition piece is serial-numbered “22/25.” Gem Mint condition.

2014-15 Panini Prizm Rookie Autographs Black Prizm Joel Embiid Signed Rookie Card

$19,200.00

This card features a similar name to the cards above, a Prizm Black variant, but features a mean-mugging Embiid rather than an in-game moment. It's still a rookie card, the only kind to grace this list so far, and features a distinct dark black background. The 9.5 GEM MT rating and the bold blue signature give this card high value.

 

Embiids most notable playoff moment was unfortunately on the wrong side of the win/loss column, when the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris, lost on a buzzer-beating shot by the Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard. Considering the Raptors went on to beat the injured Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, would it be a stretch to say that Embiid missed out on a chance to secure an early career Finals Trophy? I'm sure if that were to have happened, the prices of these cards would reflect the accomplishment by being even more expensive in the overall cost. 

2016-17 Panini Immaculate Collection Joel Embiid Logoman Patch Autographed

$13,500.00

 

As we've discussed with Embiid, he did not take the floor for a single game in the first couple of years of his career. Thus, the 2016-17 season was technically his rookie year. So although his “Rookie Cards” all come from 2014-15, you might be able to argue this season was his rookie year. We haven't seen a card of this type yet, but the logomans are pretty popular. The NBA logo sits beside a post-up Embiid, who you'll notice is far skinnier than the Embiid of today. The black autograph and the uniqueness of this card (1 of 1) fetched it $13.500 when it was sold on eBay on December 11th, 2021.

 

Joel Embiid is one of the best trash talkers in today's NBA. He's one of the first to incorporate the digital media we have today truly. If you haven't already, follow his Twitter account (JoelEmbiid) to see the hilarity he posts. He's known as the NBA troll and even includes that in his Twitter bio!

 

2018-19 Panini Flawless Ben Simmons & Joel Embiid Dual Logoman Patch Card (#1/1) – BGS MINT 9

$13,200.00

Embiid became a perennial MVP candidate and one of the best players in the NBA. But what about the others? Ben Simmons sat out his first season but eventually peaked as a DPOY candidate and All-NBA 3rd Team selection before falling off a cliff. Markelle Fultz was their other #1 pick but dealt with a severe case of the yips that derailed his career, causing the Sizers to give up on him and trade him to Orlando. Despite all this, the Sixers are rolling, one of the top teams in the NBA today.

This card is the definition of what could have been. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid had the potential to be a fantastic duo, but it never came to be. With Joel's inside dominance, and Simmon's inability to shoot, the team fell apart in one of the biggest playoff chokes ever. But that said, this card is still quite a high value! A GEM MT 9 with two flawless Jersey Patches, but no autographs, earned this card a $13,200 sale price when it sold on May 24th, 2021. 

Thanks for reading! Do you think Joel Embiid will win the MVP at least once during his career? Let me know in the comments below!