Collect the World’s Most Popular Player in UD’s 2008-09 MVP Basketball

Ysponder

Special insert set commemorates Kobe Bryant’s MVP season with the Lakers


North Las Vegas, NV (September 29, 2008) – During the recent Olympic Games in Beijing, it was clear the most popular athlete there was Upper Deck Basketball Spokesman Kobe Bryant. He was mobbed at events he attended and fans waited for hours outside arenas just to get a glimpse of the Lakers superstar. Capturing the gold medal only enhanced his popularity across the globe.

With 2008-09 MVP Basketball, Upper Deck is celebrating the reigning NBA MVP with a special insert set that chronicles every NBA game Kobe played last season. With these cards falling one in every other pack, fans of the “Black Mamba” should enjoy putting together this set with relative ease. Upper Deck has added a special chase element to this release by including exchange cards for framed uncut sheets of the Kobe Bryant MVP set.

Although the 2008-09 NBA season has not tipped off yet, hoop fans still have the fresh memories of U.S. gold in China. Upper Deck makes the most of that by featuring game-used and/or autograph cards from many of the stars of those games. Collectors can seek out cards of players like LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard from the U.S. as well as foreign standouts like Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko and Pau Gasol.

In these difficult economic times, 2008-09 MVP Basketball delivers significant value at a very conservative price. Each eight-card pack carries a suggested retail price of just $1.99 and averages 24 rookie cards and one game-used card per box. There are a variety of exciting chase elements in 2008-09 MVP Basketball like dual autograph cards, patch cards and rare “1-of-1” cards that are sure to make basketball collectors stand up and cheer.

“The main goal behind 2008-09 MVP Basketball was to deliver significant value and I think we’ve accomplished that,” said Tone Stakes, Upper Deck’s associate brand manager for Basketball. “Basketball fans can find a rookie card in every pack, a Kobe Bryant MVP insert card in every other pack and plenty of other exciting content. Most Americans are tight with their pocket books right now, but 2008-09 MVP Basketball provides them with an affordable and enjoyable collecting experience.”



Upper Deck’s 2008-09 MVP Basketball arrives in stores on September 30.



CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:

o        Find one memorabilia card or autograph per box, on average!

o        Look for Kobe Bryant MVP insert cards, chronicling every game from his award-winning 2007-08 season!

o        Look for Hobby-exclusive 1-of-1 parallels of the entire 260-card base set!

o        Find one MVP Rookie card in every pack, on average!

o        Look for Dual Memorabilia and Patch cards!



PRODUCT BREAKDOWN:

             Autographed Cards

o        Signatures Required



        Memorabilia Cards

o        Game Night Souvenirs

o        Star Combos Dual Memorabilia

o        Game Night Souvenirs Patch (# to 25)

o        Star Combos Dual Patch (# to 25)



        Inserts and Parallels

o        Base Set/Subset Silver Script Parallel

o        Base Set/Subset Gold Script Parallel (# to 100)

o        Base Set/Subset Super Script Parallel (# to 1)

o        Kobe Bryant MVP

o        Ultimate Victory

                                 

Regular Cards, Subsets and Rookies

o        Base Set – 170 Cards

o        Team MVPs – 30 Cards

o        MVP Rookies – 40 Cards

o        MVP Legends – 20 Cards