Top Zion Williamson Rookie Cards to Collect
Zion Williamson rookie cards are still riding high following a strong start for the New Orleans Pelicans. While Zion has struggled with injuries throughout his short career, when healthy he has been virtually unstoppable.
The top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is the biggest rookie name since LeBron James and collectors have been pushing values way up for the many Zion Williamson rookie cards.
Those looking for official Zion rookies need to stick with 2019-20 basketball sets from Panini. The cardmaker has the exclusive license for NBA cards, NCAA cards and all Zion Williamson cards, including those for the Pelicans and Duke Blue Devils.
If you want Zion Williamson signed memorabilia, like photos or basketballs, Fanatics has the exclusive.
While the guide below covers the many notable rookie cards for Zion, check out our custom real-time Zion Williamson hot list to see his most popular card auctions currently on eBay.
Top Zion Williamson Rookie Cards Base / Inserts
Bolded sets go directly to detailed product profiles and checklists. Purchase cards or check values on eBay using the specific links.
Given the sheer number of cards available, the Zion Williamson rookie cards guide is split into two groups. This first list covers notable base cards or inserts that aren't signed. The section below this covers only his top autographs.
2019-20 Clearly Donruss Rated Rookie Zion Williamson RC #51
2019-20 Clearly Donruss NBA puts the standard Donruss design on acetate stock. This makes for a fairly unique Zion RC option.
He also has a variation (#V51).
2019-20 Donruss Rated Rookie Zion Williamson RC #201
Speaking of Donruss, many collectors enjoy his base Rated Rookie in the main 2019-20 Donruss Basketball set.
2019-20 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Zion Williamson RC #158
One of the best base rookies for Zion comes in 2019-20 Donruss Optic NBA. The shiny set is very popular thanks to the many Prizm parallels. This assortment involves multiple exclusives, such as the Fanatics factory set version.
2019-20 Donruss Elite Zion Williamson RC #108 #/299
The online-exclusive 2019 Donruss Elite Basketball features a foil Zion Williamson rookie card. The rarity pushes values higher and can make it harder to track one down. Parallels include the Blue version shown below.
2019-20 NBA Hoops Zion Williamson RC #258
Hoops might not seem like a likely candidate for the top base Zion Williamson rookie card, but the low-end set is still worth a shoutout for a few reasons. First, 2019-20 NBA Hoops is the earliest official Zion Williamson rookie card to showcase his NBA uniform and logos. It is also one of his most affordable cards and the retro style is a nice contrast to most of the other cards out there.
2019-20 NBA Hoops Premium Stock Zion Williamson RC #258
2019-20 NBA Hoops Premium Stock amps up the primary Hoops design with a ton of parallels.
There's also a photo variation for Zion.
2019-20 Panini Black Zion Williamson RC #66 #/149
The online-exclusive 2019-20 Black Basketball offers a limited base rookie for Zion, numbered to 149.
There is also an image variation, which has 99 copies.
2019-20 Panini Chronicles Zion Williamson RC (many options)
If you are looking for multiple choices, there's 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Basketball. The multi-brand release has 22 different Zion Williamson rookie cards in the base set.
- Base Prestige #60
- Base Threads #78
- Base Panini #120
- Base Luminance #143
- Base Playbook #169
- Base Essentials #210
- Base Marquee #244
- Base XR #271
- Base Recon #292
- Base Elite Black Box #334
- Base Majestic #354
- Base Limited #377
- Base Gala #410
- Base Titanium #444
- Base Vanguard #499
- Base Crusade #529
- Base Hometown Heroes Optic #552
- Base Phoenix #570
- Base Flux #584
- Base Score #614
- Base Classics #664
- Base Rookie & Stars #699
2019-20 Panini Flawless Zion Williamson RC #98 Diamond #/20
If money is no object, why not add a diamond via 2019-20 Flawless Basketball. All versions come in at 20 copies or less.
2019-20 Panini Flawless Collegiate Zion Williamson RC #100 Diamond #/20
A little something for the high-end Duke collectors, 2019-20 Flawless Collegiate Basketball provides a rare diamond base card for Zion with only 20 copies. The hard-signed Rookie Gems Signatures version (#/25) is actually more common.
2019-20 Panini Crown Royale Zion Williamson RC #19
When it comes to distinct designs in basketball sets, it is hard to match 2019-20 Crown Royale Basketball. The base card for Zion showcases the classic die-cut crown shape and adds several Crystal parallels.
2019-20 Panini Crown Royale Kaboom Zion Williamson RC #18
Speaking of Crown, those looking for tough Zion Williamson inserts should check out Kaboom! The bold design, comic-book stylings and rarity make it especially intriguing if you want something a little different.
2019-20 Panini Court Kings Zion Williamson RC #72/#105/#138/#171
Four different base rookie cards await collectors in 2019-20 Court Kings NBA. Each card level displays a different artistic design and the rarity increases as the card number does.
2019-20 Panini Illusions Zion Williamson RC #151
2019-20 Illusions Basketball is new this season and the debut for the NBA brand happened to coincide with Zion Williamson's rookie year. Imagine that. The base version is actually pretty affordable, with the big values coming from rare parallels.
2019-20 Panini Impeccable Zion Williamson RC #88 #/99
Among the high-end base cards, 2019-20 Impeccable Basketball is one of the first. The main version totals 99 copies but there are multiple parallels.
The Stainless Stars metal inserts are also popular.
2019-20 Panini Mosaic Zion Williamson RC #209
If you want a new version of Prizm, look to 2019-20 Mosaic Basketball. Although the design is not the same as the main Prizm, Mosaic also relies on a variety of flashy parallels. His NBA Debut card (#269) can be a slightly cheaper alternative to the official base rookie.
There is a Hanger-exclusive Mosaic image variation for Zion, as well.
2019-20 Panini Noir Zion Williamson RC #148 / #178
Another premium option with a lower print run is found in 2019-20 Noir NBA.
Each numbered to 99 copies, the base set offers an Association Edition and Icon Edition card for Zion.
2019-20 Panini Obsidian Zion Williamson RC #157
2019-20 Panini Obsidian Basketball applies the vivid Electric Etch parallels to the dark design, making for a good contrast. As you can see, the Blue FOTL (#/16) below really pops.
2019-20 Panini One and One Zion Williamson RC #107 #/99
Another premium base rookie for Zion arrives in 2019-20 One & One NBA. The foil rookie is limited to 99 with a few parallels.
The Downtown insert is also very popular.
2019-20 Panini Opulence Zion Williamson RC #15 #/39
With just 39 copies for the main version, the base Zion Williamson rookie in 2019-20 Opulence Basketball can be very tough to track down and quite expensive to acquire.
2019-20 Panini Origins Zion Williamson RC #15
Searching for a quality base rookie card that is still affordable? Try 2019-20 Origins NBA for a nice Zion rookie and parallels.
Another option is the Origins image variation, which has no parallels.
2019-20 Panini Prizm Zion Williamson RC #248
Once you account for all the different Prizms parallels, 2019-20 Prizm NBA is home to arguably the top base card for Williamson.
He also has a Prizm image variation that is found in retail hanger packs.
And Fast Break boxes hold the same variation with a unique background design.
2019-20 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Zion Williamson RC #1/#64
The Duke version from 2019-20 Prizm Draft Picks Basketball is also popular if you prefer the college image. These can be found for much cheaper than the NBA card. He has two base cards in the main set, plus Crusade (#51) and All-Americans (#100) subset cards.
2019-20 Panini Revolution Zion Williamson RC #101
2019-20 Revolution Basketball might have the craziest design among Zion Willamson rookie cards, and that's saying something. Parallels, like the Groove below, change the background design and the elusive Galactic version adds a huge chase factor.
2019-20 Panini Select Zion Williamson RC #1 Concourse, #199 Premier Level, #297 Courtside
Zion Williams has three rookie cards in the base set for 2019-20 Select Basketball, including one each from the Concourse, Premier Level and Courtside subsets. While all three can be found fairly easy, the rare Prizm parallels give collectors another chase.
2019-20 Panini Spectra Zion Williamson RC #109
Another shiny set filled with Prizm parallels, 2019-20 Spectra NBA also contains two different Zion versions.
The base card above shows him dribbling up court while the photo variation below has a mid-throw passing image. Panini revealed that the variations are thrice as tough to pull.
2019-20 Panini Status Zion Williamson RC #
The Zion Williamson rookie card in 2019-20 Panini Status NBA can fly a bit more under the radar given that the set is exclusive to the Asian market.
Top Zion Williamson Rookie Cards Autographs
Let's be real here. So far, Zion Williamson rookie cards are booming. And the Zion Williamson autographs all enjoy extra attention and value. This guide highlights his key base autographs and signed inserts to collect.
2019-20 Donruss Elite Zion Williamson Autographs
2019-20 Donruss Elite NBA is a sticker-filled set but it does have a few Zion Williamson autographs. Fans can chase his Pen Pals autograph or go really big and track down the Passing the Torch Dual featuring Charles Barkley, which is numbered to 10 or less.
2019-20 Donruss Rated Rookie Signatures Zion Williamson RC #201
Collectors can find an early sticker autograph for Zion in the Rated Rookie Signatures line from 2019-20 Donruss Basketball.
Another sticker autograph card is from the Rookie Dominators insert. The hard-signed Next Day Autograph card is also very popular.
2019-20 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Signatures Zion Williamson RC #158 (Redemption)
This Zion Williamson card in 2019-20 Donruss Optic NBA takes the Donruss Rated Rookie card up a notch. That means Prizm technology and an on-card signature. Unfortunately, it appears that collectors will have to wait as the Rated Rookie autograph card comes via redemption.
Zion does have live Rookie Dominator and Signature Series cards that use sticker autographs.
2019-20 NBA Hoops Zion Williamson Autographs
Panini did not skimp on the Zion autograph selection in his first NBA set. 2019-20 NBA Hoops offers multiple choices, including cards in Great Significance, Hot Signatures and Rookie Ink.
However, the most valuable options come from the Hoops Art Signatures line that offers on-card Zion autographs. There is a single-player edition and pairings with Kobe Bryant, Ja Morant or RJ Barrett.
2019-20 Panini Absolute Memorabilia Zion Williamson Autographs
Zion has two main autographs in 2019-20 Absolute Memorabilia. The on-card Rookie Autographs insert works in a pair of options and multiple parallels.
The variation shows him in a white jersey.
And don't forget the Tools of the Trade set with three different relic totals (3-swatch, 4-swatch or 6-swatch) and multiple levels of rarity.
2019-20 Panini Black Zion Williamson RC Autograph Relics
Similar to the base set, 2019-20 Black Basketball two different Zion rookie autographs. In this case, the main edition opts for a color photo while the variation utilizes a black-and-white image.
2019-20 Panini Certified Rookie Roll Call Zion Williamson Autograph
In 2019-20 Certified Basketball, the top choice is the hard-signed Rookie Roll Call insert.
Certified features signed Freshman Fabric auto relics and Fresh Faces cards, as well.
2019-20 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Zion Williamson RC #108 Autograph
Another top Zion Williamson rookie card is from 2019-20 Contenders NBA. The hard-signed Rookie Ticket subset sees big values, especially the parallels.
It appears that the image with Zion holding the ball with two hands is the variation, but both versions are very valuable.
He has a Rookie Ticket Swatches autograph card, as well.
2019-20 Panini Contenders Optic Rookie Ticket Zion Williamson RC #108 Autograph
There's also a chromium Rookie Ticket card courtesy of 2019-20 Contenders Optic Basketball.
The image variation in a white jersey is made clear thanks to the circled "V" on the back under the NBA logo.
2019-20 Panini Contenders Draft Zion Williamson RC #51 Autograph
Any Duke fans out there? Take a look at 2019-20 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball, which has the first pack-pulled Zion Williamson RC autographs available. In fact, there are four different hard-signed College Ticket autograph versions for Zion, including three image variations that are denoted by black notches on the back of the card.
2019-20 Panini Crown Royale Rookie Silhouettes Zion Williamson RC #131 Autograph #/49 (Redemption)
The main Zion Williamson rookie card in 2019-20 Crown Royale NBA comes in the Rookie Silhouettes set as a redemption. Unlike the rest of the rookie subset that is numbered to 199, Zion has only 49 base copies. The redeemed card should have an on-card signature and a large patch.
However, Williamson does have live autographs available in the product. Given that we are talking about Crown, it is only appropriate that at least one signed card carries the familiar die-cut design. The Crown Rookie Autograph card is numbered to 99 with multiple parallels.
Another choice is Lineage Scripts (#/49), which is also issued as a redemption.
2019-20 Panini Eminence Zion Williamson RC Autographs
At the very top of the basketball card market is 2019-20 Eminence NBA. The expensive set includes multiple autographs that feature on-card autographs and low print runs.
2019-20 Panini Encased Zion Williamson RC Autographs
As the name indicates, 2019-20 Encased NBA offers slabbed cards. There are multiple Zion Williamson rookie autographs in the main set, including Rookie Endorsements (#112), Rookie Jersey Autographs (#191) and Rookie Jersey Autographs Dual (#272).
2019-20 Panini Flawless Zion Williamson RC Autographs
In addition to diamond-enhanced base cards, 2019-20 Flawless Basketball includes multiple on-card Zion Williamson rookie autographs.
2019-20 Panini Flawless Collegiate Zion Williamson RC #101/#140 Autograph #/25
A very expensive college set from early in the collecting season, 2019-20 Flawless Collegiate Basketball boasts low print runs and hard-signed cards for Zion. This includes two different RPA cards, plus a Rookie Gems Signatures card and dual autograph with RJ Barrett.
2019-20 Panini Illusions Zion Williamson RC Autographs
Zion has a few signed choices in 2019-20 Illusions Basketball, but they still appear to be quite rare overall. The most common is the Rookie Signs card with a sticker autograph. More intriguing is the Draft Night Signatures card with the autograph on acetate. These have just 32 copies. Williamson is also part of the First Impressions auto relic.
2019-20 Panini Immaculate Zion Williamson RC #136 Auto Patch #/99
As usual, one of the top rookies for high-end fans is found in 2019-20 Immaculate Collection NBA. This premium Zion Williamson rookie card has just 99 copies.
2019-20 Panini Immaculate Collegiate Zion Williamson RC #81 Autograph Patch #/99
Similar premium cards exist in Panini's online-only 2019-20 Immaculate Collegiate Basketball. However, these opt for Zion's NCAA days.
Zion also signed three-player and four-player autographs featuring notable Duke teammates.
2019-20 Panini Impeccable Zion Williamson RC #108 Autograph #/49, #143 Auto Patch #/75
Joining the low-numbered base card, Panini also added two Zion autographs in the main 2019-20 Impeccable Basketball checklist. This includes his Rookie Autograph card that is numbered to 49 copies.
More popular is the Elegance Rookie Jersey Autographs subset numbered to 75.
2019-20 Panini Mosaic Zion Williamson Autographs
The shiny 2019-20 Mosaic Basketball is more about wild parallels than autographs, but Williamson still has a few choices. He is featured in the cardboard lineup for Rookie Autographs and Rookie Scripts.
2019-20 Panini National Treasures Zion Williamson RC #108 Autograph Patch #/99
2019-20 National Treasures NBA is home to possibly the most popular Zion Williamson rookie card of the year. It's numbered to just 99 copies and offers the massive NT brand power.
Collectors can chase limited parallels, like the Stars & Stripes FOTL version above, or the horizontal RPA (#/75) below.
2019-20 Panini National Treasures College Materials Signatures Zion Williamson RC #81 #/99
Yet another high-end college set, 2019-20 National Treasures Collegiate Basketball works with a few on-card autographs for Zion in the base lineup. His main College Materials Signatures card is numbered to 99 and joined by the College Silhouettes Signatures (#/25) card.
2019-20 Panini Noir Zion Williamson RC Autograph Patch #328/#368 (Redemption)
Featuring several hard-signed choices via redemption, 2019-20 Noir NBA is another good place to look for Zion's rookie signature. The top option is his base color or black-and-white RPA editions, each numbered to 49.
Popular inserts include Critically Acclaimed, Sneaker Spotlight and Spotlight Signatures.
2019-20 Panini Obsidian Zion Williamson RC #232 Autograph Jersey #/75
If you don't mind stickers, 2019-20 Panini Obsidian NBA is worth a look thanks to the distinct look and bold Electric Etch parallels. As is the case for many rookie subsets, Zion is more limited than most of the other players.
2019-20 Panini One and One Zion Williamson RC Autographs
At this price point, it is very disappointing that 2019-20 One & One Basketball works with sticker autographs for Zion Williamson. Nevertheless, there are a few choices and all are numbered to 99 or less.
2019-20 Panini Opulence Zion Williamson RC #101 Auto Patch Book #/99
In 2019-20 Opulence Basketball, collectors can find two different on-card Zion Williamson booklet autographs. The more common booklet RPA (#/99) shows him in a white uniform.
However, the limited FOTL booklet with Williamson in a dark uniform is actually numbered into the base set (#101).
Another choice is Nouveau Riche (#/79), which has a more standard RPA style.
2019-20 Panini Origins Zion Williamson RC #109 Autograph, #143 Auto Relic
There are multiple Zion Williamson rookie autographs in 2019-20 Origins Basketball, as well.
Naturally, the on-card base autograph sees the most attention, but he has a sticker autograph jersey card in the main set.
It's worth noting that Zion signed with silver and gold ink in the Origins Autographs insert and he is also included on several booklet cards.
2019-20 Panini Prizm Zion Williamson Rookie Signatures Autograph
Even with a sticker autograph, the signed Zion Williamson card in 2019-20 Prizm NBA is a force. Alongside multiple parallels, he has autographs in the Rookie Penmanship insert.
2019-20 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Zion Williamson RC #1/#61 Autograph
Collectors can head back to school once more with 2019-20 Prizm Draft Picks Basketball. Zion has two sticker autograph cards in the Draft Picks Prizms Silver set, including a white uniform image and a blue uniform image.
2019-20 Panini Revolution Zion Williamson Autograph (Redemption)
Autographs are much less common in 2019-20 Revolution Basketball with only an average of six per case. The sole Zion Williamson autograph is a redemption and it is slated to be on-card.
2019-20 Panini Select Zion Williamson Autographs
2019-20 Select Basketball offers collectors two signed Zion Williamson rookie cards of note. The Rookie Jersey Autographs card is the most common, but he is also part of the In Flight Signatures insert.
2019-20 Panini Spectra Zion Williamson RC #181 Autograph Relic #/60
Along with his base card, 2019-20 Spectra Basketball has the on-card Zion RPA numbered to 60. This makes it a considerable short print considering the rest of the Rookie Jersey Autographs subset is numbered to 149 or 99 copies.
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Newbie
so which is his Rookie card?
they has to be just one, right?
you cant be serious that all these cards are considered rookie cards.. yes he was a rookie but chasing of a rookie card means just one card not all this insanity.
Trey Treutel
Zion has multiple cards in every set and these are just some of them. In general, we have highlighted his base rookie and top autograph in each product. This is just how it is now. The one-rookie-card-per-player concept basically ended in the 1980s.