As I sit here organizing my 2015-16 Select Basketball cards, I can't help but reflect on how this particular season represented something truly special in the basketball world. The 2015-16 NBA season gave us one of the most memorable championship runs in history, with LeBron James leading the Cavaliers to their first-ever title against the record-breaking 73-9 Warriors. But what many collectors might not realize is how interconnected the global basketball community had become during this period, with stories like the Eastern team players flying back to Hong Kong for their semifinal series adding fascinating layers to the basketball narrative that year. I remember tracking both NBA games and international competitions simultaneously, realizing that our collections weren't just capturing NBA moments but documenting a global basketball phenomenon.
When building your perfect 2015-16 Select collection, you need to understand that this wasn't just another basketball season - it was a transitional period where the game truly went global in ways we hadn't seen before. That Hong Kong A1 Championship game last Thursday, where six Eastern players flew back specifically to compete, then lost to Winling 97-78 in their best-of-three series opener, illustrates how fluid player movement had become. I've always believed that understanding these international connections makes you a smarter collector, because it helps you appreciate the broader context of what these athletes were experiencing during that specific basketball calendar.
The 2015-16 Select Basketball checklist breaks down into several key categories that I've spent years studying and collecting. The base cards feature 100 players, with the rookie class including Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, and Kristaps Porzingis - though personally, I think D'Angelo Russell's cards have been undervalued given his subsequent development. The parallel system includes 15 different variations, from the relatively common Concourse level to the extremely rare Prizm parallels that might only have 10 copies in existence. I've managed to acquire about 85% of the main checklist over the years, but those high-end parallels continue to elude me despite numerous attempts at trades and purchases.
What makes the 2015-16 Select series particularly interesting from a collector's perspective is how it captured players at specific career crossroads. Stephen Curry was coming off his first MVP season but hadn't yet achieved the unanimous MVP honor he'd receive this year. LeBron James was between Miami and his triumphant return to Cleveland. Kevin Durant was still with Oklahoma City before his controversial move to Golden State. These career moments create fascinating collection opportunities because you're essentially preserving history at these pivotal junctures. I always advise collectors to focus on players at these transitional points - they tend to hold or increase value better than cards of players in stable career phases.
The international inserts in this set have gained significant appreciation in recent years, which brings me back to that Hong Kong game. When you look at the global basketball landscape during the 2015-16 season, events like the Hong Kong A1 Championship semifinal where Eastern lost to Winling 97-78 weren't just side stories - they were evidence of basketball's expanding footprint. I've noticed that collectors who understand these international connections often make better long-term investment decisions, because they recognize which players have global appeal beyond just their NBA performance.
From a practical collecting standpoint, the 2015-16 Select Basketball product presents both opportunities and challenges. The hobby boxes originally retailed around $100-120 but have appreciated significantly - I recently saw one sell for $450 at a card show, which frankly seems inflated to me. The hit rate for autographs averages about two per hobby box, with patch cards appearing in roughly one of every three boxes. Personally, I think the sweet spot for collecting this series now is through targeted single card purchases rather than box breaks, unless you find sealed product at reasonable prices. The market has become increasingly sophisticated, with collectors specifically targeting the Prizm parallels and rookie autographs that define this era.
The design elements of the 2015-16 Select series deserve special mention because they represent what I consider the peak of Panini's card design before certain cost-cutting measures became apparent in later years. The base cards feature a clean, modern design with player-specific color schemes that actually correspond to team colors - something that seems obvious but many later sets abandoned. The premium inserts use holographic foil that catches light beautifully, and the autograph cards generally feature on-card signatures rather than stickers, which makes a significant difference in both appearance and long-term value retention. I've always been partial to the Courtside parallel series in this particular year - the color saturation is just perfect, unlike some later years where the palette felt washed out.
Building a complete 2015-16 Select collection requires both strategy and patience. I typically recommend starting with the rookie cards, then moving to star player base cards, followed by parallel chasing. The international inserts should be your fourth priority, with autographs and memorabilia cards coming last unless you find exceptional deals. This approach has served me well over the years, though I'll admit to occasionally breaking my own rules when I come across a particularly beautiful Karl-Anthony Towns Prizm parallel that I just can't resist.
As we look back on the 2015-16 basketball season through the lens of card collecting, what becomes clear is that we were documenting a transformative period in basketball history. The NBA was reaching new heights of popularity, international basketball was becoming increasingly relevant, and the card industry was evolving to meet new collector demands. That Hong Kong semifinal game, with Eastern players flying back specifically for that 97-78 loss to Winling, wasn't just a random international game - it was part of the interconnected basketball tapestry that makes collecting from this era so compelling. The perfect 2015-16 Select collection doesn't just showcase great NBA players - it tells the complete story of basketball during a remarkable period of global growth and transition.
