2024-25 Panini Court Kings Basketball Set Review and Checklist

William Mathis

March 2, 2025

	$214.99

$214.99

Overview

Panini Court Kings is one of the most visually unique and artistically designed basketball card sets, catering to collectors who appreciate vibrant artwork and textured finishes. The 2024-25 Court Kings set continues the tradition of blending art and sport, showcasing dynamic images with a painted, gallery-style aesthetic. The release includes a one-pack format per hobby box that contains ten cards per pack, with guaranteed one autograph and one memorabilia card per box.

Base Set and Variations

The base set follows a tiered system, with increasing rarity as players progress through different levels:

Rookies I (Most Common)
Rookies II (Moderate Rarity)
Rookies III (Short Print)
Rookies IV (Super Short Print - SSP)

Each rookie tier features a distinct artistic design and a higher level of scarcity, making Rookies IV the most desirable and difficult to find.

Parallels and Their Breakdown

Court Kings is known for its foil-enhanced and paint-brushed parallels, adding more depth to the already artistic cards. In 2024-25, the following parallels are expected:

Base Set Parallels:
- Acetate Parallel (New in 2024-25, a clear plastic variation)
- Ruby /149
- Sapphire /75
- Amethyst /49
- Emerald /25
- Holographic Gold /10
- Platinum One-of-One
Rookie Card Parallels:
- Artist Proof (Limited to /99)
- Brushstrokes Edition (Exclusive hand-sketched detailing)
- Aurora Parallel (Ultra-rare, only found in select hobby cases)

Inserts Breakdown

Court Kings delivers some of the most artistically creative inserts in the basketball hobby, many of which are highly sought after:

Aurora (Ultra-Rare Case Hit)
- Features an abstract painting style with a layered foil finish.
- One of the most iconic case hits in Panini’s portfolio.
Le Cinque Pui Belle (Super Short Print - SSP)
- Meaning “The Five Most Beautiful”, this French-themed insert showcases stunning artistic renditions of elite players.
- Printed on premium stock with unique artistic borders.
First Steps (For Rookie Collectors)
- Captures top NBA rookies in a stylish sneaker-focused design, highlighting their first steps in the league.
Maestros
- Features the best veteran and rookie playmakers, designed to mimic an oil-paint masterpiece.
State of the Art (New for 2024-25, Limited Edition)
- A modern, graffiti-inspired insert showcasing superstar players in an urban art style.

Autographs & Memorabilia Cards

Each hobby box guarantees one autograph and one memorabilia card, making this a high-value set for collectors chasing hits.

Autograph Subsets:
- Brush Strokes & Impressionist Ink (Veteran autos, numbered to 99 or less)
- Fresh Paint Autographs (On-card rookie autos, highly sought-after!)
- Heir Apparent Signatures (Featuring top rookies, on-card autos, and lower print runs in parallels)
- Legacy Portraits Autos (Retired legends and Hall of Famers, all hard-signed!)
Memorabilia Cards:
- Art Nouveau (Game-worn jersey relics with artistic themes, numbered versions available)
- Rookie Expressionist (Rookie-worn jersey patches, some featuring multi-color swatches)
- Exquisite Brushwork Patches (Limited patch cards with embroidered textures)