Earlier this week, a one-of-one PSA 8 2023 Panini Crown Royale Green Kaboom! featuring Yao Ming sold for $112,500, becoming the first solo Yao Ming card to top $100K. This same card last sold on September 11, 2025, for $58,890.
The sale also puts Ming alongside Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and several other stars with six-figure Kaboom sales.
Yao Ming’s Career & Global Impact
Yao Ming was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2002 NBA Draft and finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year votes behind Amar’e Stoudemire. An eight-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA, Ming was one of the league’s premier centers, averaging 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Ming’s career was cut short due to a series of foot and ankle injuries, which were exacerbated by his lack of offseason rest. Even so, Ming became an international star and helped introduce the NBA to millions of fans in Asia, helping fuel one of the NBA’s biggest periods of global growth.
Ming retired after only 8 seasons at the age of 30 and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2016, along with Shaq, Allen Iverson, and several other members of a very strong HOF class.
Ming’s Highest Selling Cards
The Ming Kaboom is his highest-selling solo card, but it’s not his highest-selling card of all time. In fact, his two highest-selling cards, and seven of his top eight, are Logoman cards featuring other legends from the same era or franchise.
The second-highest-selling Yao Ming card is a one-of-one PSA 6 Logoman featuring two other Houston Rockets legends: Moses Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon, which sold on May 10, 2026, for $134,200.
The highest-selling Ming card is a one-of-one PSA 8 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Triple Logoman featuring the Houston center along with Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan. That card last sold on October 24, 2025, for $156,000.
One other notable Yao Ming sale is his highest-selling rookie card, a PSA 10 (and 10 auto) 2002 Ultimate Collection autographed jersey patch (/25) that sold for $64,999 back in April, 2021.
Ming Market – A Cautionary Tale
Like countless generational prospects, Ming entered the league carrying enormous expectations and hype. He also appeared to be remarkably durable early on, missing just two games in his first three seasons, until his injuries caught up with him.
For longtime collectors, it’s impossible to ignore the similarities between today’s Wemby hype and the frenzy that surrounded Yao Ming. Both were larger-than-life foreign players who were the centerpieces of their respective franchises that struggled with injuries. Wemby has already missed 65 games over the course of his first three seasons due to deep vein thrombosis and other injuries.
Yao Ming’s market is proof that hype and international appeal don’t guarantee long-term returns. Talent matters, health matters, and championships matter even more. The question is, will Wemby avoid the same pitfalls and justify today’s record prices?
Collectors going all in on the Spurs big man are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.
Conor is a leading sports collectibles writer and market analyst with more than 100 published articles covering sports cards, Pokémon, auctions, investing trends, and hobby culture. A lifelong collector who entered the hobby in the early 1990s, Conor’s expertise centers on vintage and modern basketball cards, basketball icons, and iconic Boston sports memorabilia tied to legends like Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz.
