NBA: What are debut patches and how do they work?
NBA players making their debut this season will wear a special patch on their jerseys as part of the Topps merchandise brand program, created by sports company Fanatics.
Each player making their debut will wear a patch on their shirt during the first game, before the patch is removed and placed on a unique trading card.
That trading card will not only consist of the debut patch, but will also have the player’s autograph on it.
A similar program of using debut patches on trading cards was previously used by Topps trading cards in Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball.
“Imagine having a debut patch of LeBron (James), (Michael) Jordan, (Steph) Curry and what would that mean?” Fanatics Collectibles CEO Michael Mahan told ESPN.
“Well, the next generation superstar will have a debut patch – the ultimate rookie card.”
Fanatics also announced plans to create special cards for the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
For those players, they will wear a gold NBA logoman patch which will then be used on rare trading cards.
“Trading cards are not about achievement, success and accolades: we’re going to bring that to trading cards,” added Mahan.
The NBA season begins on Tuesday, October 21. Among those making his debut this year is Amari Williams, a British center who was selected in the NBA draft earlier this year by the Boston Celtics.
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2025-10-16 15:49:00
