Is Ben Simmons A Sports Card Investment Bust?

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers front office looked to be heading for splitsville these past few months after rumors surfaced he wanted out of Philly. Things got even worse when he made it very public that he did not plan on returning to play for the 76ers anytime soon, or so we thought. These developments left collectors wondering: is Ben Simmons a sports card investment bust.

He has recently decided to settle down and reconsider his future in the NBA, especially with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, according to reports, Simmons is back in Philly and ready to return with his teammates. Doc Rivers, Philadelphia’s Head Coach, praised Ben Simmons and is prepared to welcome him back to the team with arms wide open. What will the new NBA season hold for the embattled Sixers guard?

Who Is Ben Simmons?

Ben Simmons started playing basketball when he was just seven years old in Newcastle, Australia, where he quickly rose to fame because of his outstanding talents at such a young age. In fact, he played for a team and league that was under-12, meaning it was primarily kids five to six years older than him. However, as he continued to get better, he was no longer a secret and was quickly touted as the next superstar.

After choosing to play college at LSU, he carried the team back to the NCAA tournament. However, he left after just one season and was the easy choice for the first overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, even with rumors about some character and attitude issues.

The Philadelphia 76ers decided not to worry about rumors and focus on the fact that he is a 6’11” guard that can do things with the basketball no one has ever seen with a player of his size.

Simmons came out of college with significant buzz (look for his LSU cards on Amazon).

The Passion Of The Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons was a hot commodity throughout his early career, and it was nearly impossible to get a good deal on any of his rookie cards because anyone who owned them wanted to keep them. It was an excellent investment for collectors until he started to struggle and cost the 76ers wins in the postseason.

During his rookie season, he struggled to score consistently in the postseason. Still, it got even worse over the subsequent two appearances. During Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he finished with five points, including going 25-73 from the free-throw line (34.2%), the worst rate in the NBA playoff history.

It does not take very long before coaches, fans, and teammates start wondering if he is ever going to be more than just a liability in clutch time. As he struggled to maintain a consistent stat line each week, the value of his cards dropped.

Will Ben Simmons Live Up To The Hype?

Yes. Ben Simmons is going to bounce back for a straightforward reason, defense. He is an elite defender that is 6’11” and a menace for the smaller guards in the NBA.

Not only that, he is an elite rebounder, elite passer, and one of the best in transition in the entire league. If that was not enough to make you drool over his potential, remember that he is 6’11” and is not supposed to be able to do these types of things at that size.

Knowing he has all that unique elite ability in his repertoire, his scoring can improve just a little bit, and he will be in talks for the league MVP. However, free throws and scoring are all he needs to fix to be considered elite.

Top 5 Value Ben Simmons Cards

5. 2016-17 Excalibur Kaboom RC

Although many Ben Simmons cards will be sold for more money, there is nothing like owning his Kaboom rookie card from the 2016-17 Excalibur set. The colors, the design, and the rarity of it make it such an excellent investment.

This Kaboom! has undeniable style (get Ben’s 2016-17 Excalibur Kaboom on eBay).

4. 2016-17 Donruss Optic Black Refractor 1/1

When it comes to appeal, the Donruss Optic Black Refractors are one of the most underrated rookie cards on the market today. They are sleek, smooth, and dark enough to create a craving for collectors to want another one, even though there has only ever been one released.

3. 2016-17 Upper Deck Exquisite Collections Auto RC #/99

It is rare to see a rookie card numbered higher than one of one selling for $23,100. However, Ben Simmons rookie cards carried that kind of value.

2. 2016-17 Flawless Triple Diamond RC #6/25

If you love collecting Ben Simmons, why not chase after the ones that also feature real diamonds on them, like the 2016-17 Flawless Triple Diamond card that sold for $27,000. With only 25 of these floating around, it isn’t hard to see why it is so high on the list.

College uniform or no, this is a great card (shop for 2016-17 Flawless Triple Diamond RC’s on eBay).

1. 2016-17 Panini Gold Standard 14k Gold RC

One of Ben Simmons’s most valuable and chased after rookie cards were obtained through redemption from the 2016-17 Gold Standard series, with the card itself being 14k gold. The lucky owner of this card is not giving it away anytime soon but is fielding offers over $100,000, making it easily his top valued card.

Top Five Ben Simmons Pop Counts

Is Ben Simmons A Sports Card Investment Bust? The Analysis

A Ben Simmons Silver Prizm RC (gem mint) recently went for $1,040. However, you can generally get them for $800-900. At their peak, they were going for over $3,000 (in late 2020). So there is a lot of room to bounce back. Compare that to say, Jayson Tatum. Right now, his Silver Prizm rookies are worth close to $2,500. If Ben is close to that caliber, his cards have room to grow.

A Ben Simmons Silver Prizm is a good deal right now (look for them on eBay).

And that seems likely. As you can already see, he is not a sleeper in terms of his most valuable cards.

The best time to collect anyone is when the world starts to turn on them. However, with Ben Simmons and all his fantastic potential, there is not much he needs to fix. All it takes is one great postseason, and things will change rapidly for his card values.

Knowing that he is back in Philly and looking to make amends with the team and front office means that Ben is not far away from a comeback.

Bottomline On Whether Ben Simmons A Sports Card Investment Bust

There are several other superstars you could potentially chase. But most of the other potential investments are either unproven youngsters or have over-valued cards. Wouldn’t you rather collect Ben Simmons, a perennial All-Star with elite capabilities? Therefore, his value is perfect for you to go out and start collecting today because even if he falls out of the good graces of Philadelphia, he will end up somewhere else with tons of talent and a fresh start, so buy, buy, buy.