When 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball Kaboom inserts debuted, it’s hard to believe that anyone knew just how influential the set would become. They’re now among the most sought after inserts in the hobby with a roster that’s spread beyond hoops and into several sports. But all of those case hit chases started here.
The foundation for Kaboom! was there from the beginning. First up is the comic book look players have. For the initial set, Panini hired Hungarian illustrator Gyula Nemeth to create the art.
“I really love the aesthetics of comics, but I rarely had to draw extreme action poses up to that point,” Nemeth said in an interview posted on Panini’s blog. “Now I had only a few weeks to come up with 20 different dunking poses with different perspectives and different dynamics.”
The artist had previously collaborated with Panini on their resurrected Triple Play Baseball releases.
While the larger-than-life illustrations brought the pizzazz to the 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball Kaboom cards, the card stock provided the pop. Cards are done on foil with a bright exploding pattern running in the background. It’s kind of like what you’d expect to see when something blows up in a Looney Tunes cartoon or when Batman gets into some fisticuffs on the old Adam West TV show.
The 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball Kaboom checklist has 20 cards. Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and LeBron James are among the headliners.
From the beginning, Kaboom cards could be spotted from a distance. And that has to be part of their lasting appeal. Sure, their rarity helps as well. But these cards are distinct. Even as the number of big designs and illustrated themes have grown, 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball Kaboom laid a lot of groundwork.
The Innovation line didn’t last past 2013-14. However, Kaboom inserts did, shifting over to Panini Excalibur Basketball in 2014-15.
Panini never released specific odds on the insert’s debut. However, they’re commonly referred to as case hits. This implies they’re scarce, landing typically no more than one per case.
2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball Kaboom Checklist
20 cards.
1 Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
2 Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
3 Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
4 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
5 Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
6 Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
7 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
8 Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
10 James Harden, Houston Rockets
11 Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
12 John Wall, Washington Wizards
13 Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
14 Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
15 Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
16 Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
17 Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
18 LeBron James, Miami Heat
19 Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
20 Paul Pierce, Brooklyn Nets
