Buzz Break: 2023-24 Topps Chrome basketball cards

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2023-24 Topps Chrome basketball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview, checklist & odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Keep reading to see a breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 4
Cards per box: 28
Cards in this box: 30
Set completion: 
22 of 190 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Joel Embiid, Tony Parker, Shawn Kemp, Dennis Rodman, Bill Walton, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Rose, Jordan Clarkson, Reggie Jackson, Chris Paul, C.J. McCollum, Zach Collins, Bennedict Mathurin, Daniel Gafford, Jakob Poeltl, Pau Gasol

Rookie Cards (6) – Leaky Black, Julian Phillips, Jalen Pickett, Taylor Hendricks, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jarace Walker

Insert cards: 8 (all cards from box in gallery below)
Refractors (1) – Jason Kidd
Pink Refractors (2) – Jaylen Clarke, Amari Bailey
Green Topps Refractors (2) – Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kyrie Irving
Power Boosters (1) – Russell Westbrook
Roundball Royalty (1) – Kevin Durant
Roundball Royalty Pink (1) – Dirk Nowitzki

Autographs/Memorabilia: None.

What's Buzz-worthy: This box statistically over-delivered with three inserts, but I think this one is almost solely about the Victor Wembanyama chase and other super-rare inclusions that seem to be part of a regular influx to Chrome lineups in recent years and emphasized hard on the hobby side ... but what about the little boxes like this and the little boxes that arrive without them? This box is really perhaps average with a blasé rookie mix -- but the odds on three inserts (see below) saved that -- and for this basketball dabbler there just really wasn't much else to write home about. The Pink and the Green parallels are exclusives here that could add value over time if they turn out to be slightly tougher finds than hobby-format parallels but I think all formats are readily available right now ... so any movement might need time for ripping, posting and supplies of everything to dry up. Wembanyama is the chase, Wembanyama is probably the reason this set happened and Wembanyama will probably be the reason people rip here for some time. Could fewer formats and more exclusives beyond parallels have helped this one out? Maybe some kind of insert set where VW arrives in every box to offer up a small win each time? After all, this is not a basic flagship-style release in its stock or SRP. This particular format is the home to some long pulls -- Supers can be in blasters -- but there's a lot that isn't, too. Ink is possible here at one in 137 and up and the insert presence is there, too, perhaps more than anything for this format ... but this box only had a couple. With the base set being repetitive the unlicensed look gets repetitive, too, but more inserts and more variety would make even this smaller box more fun to open ... especially when you don't land The Big Guy.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: B (PB is one in 23 packs, RR is one 12, RR Pink one in 71 ... they saved this box)
Fun Grade: B- (statistically, those inserts are good ... but still not a lot of demand)

--

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com