Buzz Break: 2020-21 NBA Hoops Winter Edition (blaster)

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The box: 2020-21 NBA Hoops Winter Edition basketball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist (standard set): 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, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Brandon Clarke, De'Andre Hunter, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Nikola Vucevic, Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jokic, Kelly Oubre Jr., Lou Williams, Kemba Walker, Fred VanFleet, Lonzo Ball

Rookie Cards (6) – LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Malachi Flynn, Udoka Azubuike, Robert Woodard II, Xavier Tillman

Inserts/short-prints: 11 (all in gallery below with some base)
SLAM magazine Winter (1) – Tracy McGrady
Purple Winter parallels (2) – Anthony Davis, Patrick Williams (RC)
Arriving Now Winter (1) – Kira Lewis Jr.
Lights Camera Action Winter (3) – Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson
Vanity Plates Winter (2) – Jayson Tatum, Rui Hachimura
Vanity Plates Winter Holo (1) – Ben Simmons
Frequent Flyers Winter (1) – Zion Williamson

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Rookie Ink Green (1) – Cole Anthony

What's Buzz-worthy: Hoops is a brand that I have literally only seen twice this year -- a single regular blaster and then this retail-only Winter Edition blaster that just arrived out in the wild just today. Like my last break, this one delivered a pairing of LeBron James and a LaMelo Ball RC, which immediately gets it a high grade. I didn't land a Kobe SLAM insert like last time but my hit here was an upgrade in a Cole Anthony Green Rookie Ink card that pays for the box and gets it an A+ ... and the other two cards I mentioned can perhaps pay for a box, too. Everything in here is a little frosty with the Winter Edition cards having some ice atop the cards and then some snow here and there depending on the set and design. The effect actually feels way under-done this year but I still like the concept. (Past years might have been seen as too heavy by some people but if you're going to go there, go there.) While my last blaster had 22 Rookie Cards this one had less than a third of that ... but the Ball makes that OK to me. Just like I said last time, 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, 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. Like past years, I'd the Winter version has to be rarer as it's only found here vs. the standard stuff in all other formats ... perhaps someday there will be a premium paid for cards from this one?

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A+ (auto, LeBron and LaMelo ... winner)
Fun Grade: B+

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