Random Wax: 2024-2025 Hoops Basketball

24-25 Hoops:  LaMelo Ball's stats are down this year, but I think that's more of a product of Charlotte's game right now and not an indictment of his play.  Since January, the Hornets are playing great ball behind Ball, Brandon Miller, and rookie Kon Knueppel.  Happy to see them playing well.

Really nice photo on that KD card.  Durant is 37 and is having a crazy good year...again!  Man, he is good.  I like this design the more I look back on it.  It definitely has a Hoops vibe.

Dalton Knight came on strong, but things just fell off or him.  A shame.  Seemed like he was going to be a thing.  Hopefully it'll turnaround for him.  Bub Carrington has been solid averaging 10/3/4 with the Wizards.  Sold Washington uni properly looking like the old Bullets.

Reed Sheppard has provided a real spark for the Rockets this year with his scoring, shooting and playmaking off the bench.  Wish the Greetings inserts had more of a greeting card vibe to it.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dereck Lively II bringing strong hair game to the sport.

Los Angeles Laker Luka Doncic will probably be 2nd to SGA in the MVP voting, but he'll right there in the conversation.  He's averaging 33/7/8 a game this year as he continues to rub it in the Mavericks' nose.  I did not know he had this many nicknames:  The Matador, El Matador, Cool Hand, The Don, Wonder Boy, El Niño Maravilla, Swaggy L, Luka Legend, Too Easy, Luka Magic

Fun pack.  Plenty of star power including Steph Curry who has struggled with injuries in what feels like a lost season for the Warriors.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
5 – RC
2 – Arriving Now
2 – Hoops Tribute
1 – Greetings
1 – Premium Stock
1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

Random Wax: 2024-25 Panini Haunted Hoops (20 Packs)

24-25 Haunted Hoops:   Its' Friday the 13th so let's get scary!  LeBron isn't who he once was as a player but he's 41 and still averaging 21 points per game, 5 boards and 6 assists per game.  This may be his last season, and I'll be sorry to see him go.  He's such an amazing player.  Here he is on a Hoops Tribute Slime Parallel.

That great Donovan Mitchell photo is on one of the 12 Orange (Pumpkin) parallels I pulled in these packs.  Mitchell is having a great season, but the Cavs just don't have the same magic they did last year.  Hated seeing Jimmy Butler go down for the season while KD is having an amazing age 37 season.

Ajay Mitchell and big man Kyle Filipowski have developed into solid contributors for their teams.

More Orange (Pumpkin) Parallels and one of my 6 Slime Parallels.  Michael Porter Jr. is having a really good year with his new team, Brooklyn, where he is the focus of the offense.

The backs on these are okay and I do like seeing the hint of Halloween scariness with the trees in the background and colors.

I want to see Naz Reid in the starting lineup someday.  He's a great shooting big but with Rudy Gobert entrenched in the middle for Minnesota, that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

More Hoops Tribute inserts to finish off the post including mega stars like Luka Donci and Wemby.

BREAKDOWN:
60 – Total Cards
14 – RC
12 – Orange (Pumpkin)
6 - Slime
5 – Hoops Tribute
1 - Prospect
1 – Draft Combine

Random Wax: 2024-2025 Hoops Basketball

24-25 Hoops:   Anthony Edwards, Georgia Bulldogs alum, is having a great season with the Timberwolves.  Minnesota hasn't figured it out but as long as they have Edwards, they'll have a chance to win.  He's averaging 28, 4 and 3 this season while shooting 39% from long range.  Great photo too.

Jayson Tatum is out for the year with injury but that is still a good photo.  Brandon Miller is dealing with injuries this season and the Hornets, while an interesting team, continue to struggle.  And Jonathan Kuminga drama continues in Golden State.

I'm still not sure who Zacchaire Risacher is as a player and the Hawks are probably struggling with the same question.  That's tough for a #1 overall pick for both the player and the team.

I like all of these photos.

Ja Morant on a Skyview insert as well as a Green Parallel and a Teal Explosion Parallel.

Nikola Jokic is still the most fun player to watch in the NBA and the best player in the league.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
7 – RC
2 – Skyview
2 – Skyview
1 – Arriving Now
1 – Hoops Tribute
1 – Green Parallel
1 – Premium Stock
1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

Random Wax: 2024-2025 Hoops Basketball

24-25 Hoops:   There are so many questions around Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers but there's no denying this man's talent.

Some big man love.  Bam Adebayo and the Heat just don't seem to have it all clicking lately and they'll start the season without All-Star Tyler Hero.  This design is okay and it does feel like Hoops.

Stephon Castle averaged 14 points per game his rookie season and brought home Rookie of the Year honors.

Just a bit blah.

That Hardaway Jr. is my Purple Parallel pull.  Zach Edey had a solid rookie season.  Bogdan Bogdanovic is on a Teal Explosion Parallel.

I'm a fan of Al Horford who is looking good on this Hoops Premium Stock card.  I like Brook Lopez as well.  My Hoops Tribute insert has retired great Yao Ming gracing it.  NBA comes back next month and I can't wait.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

6 – RC

2 – Hoops Tribute

1 – Skyview

1 – Arriving Now

1 – Premium Stock

1 – Purple Parallel

1 – Rookie Greetings

1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

Random Wax: 2024-2025 Hoops Basketball

 24-25 Hoops:  Wemby is out for the year.  Hopefully the injury isn't as serious as it seems, and he'll be good to start the 2025-2026 season.  Wemby is a freak of nature.  Like some others I'd like to see him play closer to the basket.  I think that would be fun to see him dominate in the paint.  Jacking up 3's, while in vogue, isn't what he is about in my opinion.

This Hoops design isn't my favorite, but it has a Hoops feel to it.  Good pull in this box.  Wemby always helps but I also got some PC guys in Lillard and Sabonis.  My inserts really helped as well.

#2 pick in the draft, Alexandre Sarr, is still finding his way in the league.  He's third in points per game amongst rookies.

Something pertaining to the city each rookie is playing in would have gone a long way on these Greetings inserts.

I'll pick up more Hoops.  They are a fun cheap option for NBA cards.

More great pulls.  Shaquille O'Neal on a Premium Stock card, Dr. J on a Hoops Tribute, and Luka on a Pure Players insert.  That Dr. J is my favorite card in this set.  Just a great look to it.

That second Haliburton card is a Teal Explosion Parallel.  Good looking card and a fun pull to compare with the plain base card I also pulled.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
5 – RC
2 – Hoops Tribute
1 – Skyview
1 – Pure Players
1 – Premium Stock
1 – Rookie Greetings
1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

2024-2025 Hoops Basketball Blaster

24-25 Hoops:  Kyrie's head is still spinning after Luka was traded last week.  Gotta figure Dallas will do what they can to resign/extend him in the offseason.  They'll need him and in theory he's a good pairing with Anthony Davis.  In all this should be good for Kyrie Irving even if it doesn't net him a championship.

I'm not sure about the design.  Overall, it is fine but there's not enough room for the photo.  It has a Hoops vibe but a little redesign and they could have nailed it.  Zach Lavine is now in Sacramento with former teammate DeMar DeRozan, after the trade that sent De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs.

The rookie base cards are pretty simple, but I like them.  That background works for me.  Still needs more room for the photo.

The Rookie Greetings inserts can be fun but this doesn't scream "greeting card".  Something in the background that says "travel" or "tourist" would have helped.

Arriving now is fine.  That Zach Edey is a Holo Parallel version of Arriving Now.  SkyView is one I like the more I look at it.

The backs while looking a bit different are the same ole backs in actuality.  That Mata Buzelis is a Purple Parallel.  There are 300 cards in this set with plenty of inserts.

These are three of the Premium Stock cards that come one per pack.  They are fine and I'm sure a favorite of shiny card fans.

Luka is a winner in the madness that was last week.  He'll be star of the Lakers franchise moving forward, assuming he extends with them.  The Lakers are the NBA mecca, so he'll be fine.  Pure Players isn't a favorite of mine, but I'll take a Steph Curry pull any day.  That Tim Duncan is a Hoops Tribute card and that subset has five retired greats in it.

This Julius Erving Hoops Tribute card is my favorite of the box.  To me it screams SkyBox but I'm not complaining.  I like the photo and the colors.  It works.  I'll definitely grab more of this over time.

BREAKDOWN:
90 – Total Cards
20 – RC
6 – Premium Stock
5 – Hoops Tribute
2 - Skyview
2 – Blue Parallel
2 – Arriving Now
2 – Rookie Greetings
1 – Pure Players
1 – Holo Parallel
1 – Purple Parallel