First Buzz: 2017-18 Panini Kobe Eminence basketball cards

What: 2017-18 Panini Kobe Eminence basketball cards
Arrives: Jan. 12
Box basics: Eight autographs and one gold or platinum card along with a signed hardcover book per box
Order: Click here for info

What’s buzz-worthy: Panini is taking its biggest NBA star to ultra-high-end territory with a box of basketball cards dedicated solely to Kobe Bryant.

Keep reading for more info.

The Basics: These boxes will pack nothing but autographs, memorabilia, diamonds or precious metal cards along with an autographed checklist book that shows every card in the set. … Signature Sketches Diamond cards will spotlight Kobe’s Nike shoes, while each of his NBA titles will have Crown Jewels Diamond cards that will include gems and ink. All of his seasons also will get their own Five Fold booklets, while there will be Championship Magnet cards that spotlight his NBA titles. His All-time Buckets Gold and Platinum cards will note scoring milestones with and without autos or diamonds, while diamond cards also will be found building the Lakers logo. Rounding things out will be Kobe Farewell cards and Giant Memorabilia cards.

Update: Panini has released a number of new details on what this one will include — and, yes, there’s more to be found. There will be Eminence Experiences and Eminence Memorabilia redemption cards. These cards, found roughly one in every six boxes, will guarantee a collector — or a collector and their companion — an experience to remember.

Among the Eminence Experiences will be:
— Attend the 2018 NBA Draft in Chicago as a Panini VIP.
— Attend the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte, N.C., as a Panini VIP.
— Attend the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot in New York as a Panini VIP.
— Attend the 2018 Panini VIP Party in Cleveland, Ohio, as a Panini VIP.
— Attend a meet-and-greet interactive experience with Bryant.

Among the Eminence Memorabilia items will be:
— A signed Bryant Eminence embossed Spalding ball.
— A signed pair of Bryant shoes.
— A signed Nike Black Mamba retirement jersey – only available in limited quantities on Monday.
— A signed Bryant jersey with an inscription of your choice (subject to advance approval)

The first of a few videos to come teasing Eminence can be seen above.

In addition to the redemptions, Panini clarified any confusion about its metal and diamond cards in the product. The metal cards in every box will include either one troy-ounce of gold ($1,320) or one troy-ounce of Platinum ($1,533). The company also noted that “most cards will feature multiple embedded diamonds” and that “there are multiple cards in the run that include more than 30 diamonds each.” As seen in the gallery below, they will create either the Mamba logo or Lakers logo.

Lastly, Panini said that the five-fold booklets will be found one in every five boxes and “they will “redefine” the industry standard for this hobby staple.”