Rui Hachimura was drafted 9th overall out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Wizards. This card is my first serious trading card purchase and I’m f&#ing excited. Not only are the Wizards my favorite team, but the ceiling of Rui has me dreaming of what he and John Wall can do.

I dropped 3 digits on this, a bit over $100, but here’s why I think there’s some serious growth on Hachimura cards. The Jumpman is the biggest thing out of Japan since anime, and the 6′8″ Mewtwo (considered the strongest Pokémon ever) has an the entire country behind him.

Consider that brands like Nike’s Jordan Brand, NBA 2K, NEC, Casio, Nissin Foods, SoftBank and SMBC have already signed endorsement deals with the rookie.

The Japanese basketball sneakerhead culture is already huge, and Rui only spearheads the popularity of the NBA in the country. His Japanese-Beninese ethnicity also adds a level of intrigue on top of his acquired fame in his rookie year. He’s got all the hallmarks of becoming a cultural icon especially in Japan and with such a high ceiling, the sky’s the limit.

Despite all of this, it’s a pretty damn fine looking card that I’ll be holding onto for a while.