Buzz Break: 2020-21 NBA Hoops basketball cards (blaster box)

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The box: 2020-21 NBA Hoops basketball cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of images in this one.

Packs per box: 11
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 88
Base set completion: 76 of 250 (30 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis, Kyle Lowry, Devin Booker, John Wall, Fred VanFleet, T.J. Warren, C.J. McCollum, Zach LaVine, Collin Sexton, R.J Barrett, DeAndre Ayton, Carmelo Anthony

Rookie Cards (22) – LaMelo Ball, Nick Richards, Grant Riller, Payton Pritchard, Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Xavier Tillman, Tyrell Terry, Immanuel Quickley, Nico Mannion, Udoka Azubuike, Elijah Hughes, R.J. Hampton, Tryese Haliburton, Robert Woodard II, Cassius Winston, C.J. Elleby, Daniel Oturu, Kenyon Martin Jr., Skylar Mays, Patrick Williams, Malachi Flynn

Inserts/short-prints: 11 (all in gallery below with some base)
SLAM magazine (1) – Kobe Bryant
Blue parallels (3) – Malcolm Brogdon, Terence Davis, Skylar Mays (RC)
Purple parallels (1) – Danuel House Jr.
Arriving Now (1) – Deni Avdija
Lights Camera Action (2) – Kevin Durant, Bam Adabayo
Vanity Plates (2) – Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic
Frequent Flyers (1) – Aaron Gordon

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Rookie Remembrance (1) – Matisse Thybulle

What's Buzz-worthy: My first in-person look at this one and choice to only do one box -- leaving some (what wasn't left long) for the kids -- paid off pretty well I think with a LeBron James appearance as well as a LaMelo Ball RC and a Kobe Bryant SLAM insert ... a pricey card that may or may not be somewhat tough to pull. (They are priced out there like they are rare but I'm not sure ... maybe it'd be cool to see some odds on some NBA releases?) They are retail-only finds and he's one of the best-sellers in a cool set ... so the trio of simple finds makes this an A+ box in my book. The base design isn't that exciting to me with this one (those photo frames are heavy) but it does carry an appropriate Hoops vibe to it. What I do like here is a healthy Rookie Card presence -- you get 22 RCs out of 50 in the set in a single blaster. That should lead to some good breaks (even if they aren't as pricey if they were rarer) and plenty of volume for flippers to stockpile or slab -- and that's a big deal in the NBA today if you ask me ... moreso than other sports in my mind. The insert lineup here has some sorta-gimmicky cards with a 1990s feel to them, so I don't mind it, while the photos in the base set might lead you to hunt for some cameos in the stands. They made me look, though it does seem that there's not much of a COVID bubble nod in the photo choices here. (Might be an NBA call ... or more might be coming. I think it gave a good tone in 2021 Topps baseball to acknowledge the real-world oddities of last season.) My sample size here is pretty small -- this is my only box and I have not watched other breaks -- but it seems like this one is a release where you could stockpile a lot if ripping hobby and do pretty well with smaller boxes, too. There are mega boxes already out and the Winter edition of this one is coming ... and you know Premium Stock has to be in the works at some point, too. So, with that in mind, I'd dig in however you want to (retail, hobby, singles) to get what you want for how/why you're buying but keep in mind other versions of this are coming. Key RCs are always going to be watched and strong photos like that LeBron make for quality cards no matter what stock is used.

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A+
Fun Grade: B+

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