“One of the toughest cards EVER!!! SHEESH!!” while LeBron James seldom says anything about trading cards, he did have some words about one that featured him and his eldest boy, Bronny. With the 20-year-old set to make his NBA debut, merchandise related to the rookie is blowing up the market. With his jerseys being sold at a huge price, the rookie is now doing his part to build up the hype for other hoopers’ collectibles. However, he could’ve brought in some more enthusiasm when it came to Victor Wembanyama!

Earlier today, the new Lakers recruit was captured attending the latest edition of Topps Hobby Rip Night, hosted at Rizo Sports in Santa Monica. An event that assembles the card-collecting community from all walks of life, several renowned athletes like KD and Tom Brady have previously participated in the event. Now, the attention of over a dozen kids was on Bronny as he opened and went through a series of packs.

The announcer soon revealed that Bronny had come across Victor Wembanyama’s rookie card, igniting a huge cheer from the crowd. Unfortunately, the player wasn’t that excited and just kept shuffling through the rest of the cards!

Bronny James’s reaction would’ve certainly raised some questions. After all, who wouldn’t want to glance enthusiastically at the collectible of a rookie who, within just a year, established several records within the NBA and even won a silver medal at the Olympics?

Unfortunately, while the French star carries some significant hype, the same cannot be said about his cards. According to a Front Office Sports report from in April, Wemby’s cards hadn’t been generating as much sales in comparison to the rookies who came before him. From issues arising because of the Panini-Fanatics transition and the antitrust lawsuit to the card community’s slow recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, several factors have played a role in the major downfall.

In recent days, however, the hype for Wemby’s collectibles is taking an upward path. In mid-August, sports-card hobbyist and poker player Bleznick made headlines after announcing his intention to pay $1 million for a ‘one-of-one Superfractor rookie card’ carrying Wemby’s autograph. Ken Goldin, the CEO of Goldin Auction House, put out a request for all Spurs‘ Wembanyama signed cards from 2023-24 Topps Chrome Basketball.

However, the hype for the Wemby cards does not seem to have arrived soon enough to get the interest of Bronny himself. However, looking at the growing trend, NBA fans and card collectors will certainly be keeping an eye out for any further changes. The sports cards community also cannot keep shunning an individual who may be as enthusiastic as them about the hobby!

Victor Wembanyama was spotted shopping cards at a local store: “He’s clearly a fan of many things pop culture”

Back in May, a couple of San Antonio pop culture enthusiasts were met with a surprise, as they found the 7-foot player in the same shop as them! Visiting the renowned Heroes & Fantasies shop, the 20-year-old was captured glancing at a collection of cards safely enclosed. After highlighting the moment on social media, one visitor joked, “Saw this pic in a card group. Apparently Wemby was in a local San Antonio hobby shop trying to find his own rookie card lol.” Given that a single rookie card of his was priced at $350,000 on eBay at the time, the Frenchman himself may have wanted to check out the hype!

The visit to the store was enough to even get out a reaction from Heroes and Fantasies’ Vice President Adam Conley. In a statement to MySA, he said, “It was cool that Victor came in to check out the shop. He’s clearly a fan of many things pop culture that we deal in. He took particular interest in Manga Books and Gaming Cards like Pokemon & Magic: The Gathering. We didn’t ask him to sign anything, instead wanted to allow him to enjoy his visit and let him explore, and our other guests who saw him here respected that as well.”

Wemby’s interest in sports cards made him more relatable to the community which Bronny James also is a big part of. In the next few years, the French star’s popularity may end up even reaching to a level that would finally make LeBron James’ son smile when coming across his card next!

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.