Retro Rocket Mailday! Circa early to mid 2000s

[skip20]

These two Rockets had their careers cut short and only managed one full year together in their prime. It was a good year though... Most of these cards are from around that time.

Yao Ming and Stevie Franchise....

The Obligatory Game Used

Fleer Platinum Freshman Fabric


Fleer Ultra Leaps & Bounds (even two colour GU look so much better!)


Bowman Rookie Recall



The Kick Azz Patch!

Not only is it a team 3 coloured patch with great stitching, the card shares the same colour scheme which makes it really pop!



The Scribble

Press Pass (on card)


Topps Gallery (on card) - great designs on this product. Always love that Topps auto stamp!


Bowman's Best Rookie Locker Room Flashback (on card) - Dang this card has a lot going for it, nice sheen on the card surface - looks killer in hand!


Speaking of flashbacks...

SPX Flashback Fabrics



.....and ending with a nice little homage of matching cards from their time together,

2003-04 UD Finite Signatures (on card) - Quite appropriate cards seeing it was their last and best full year as teammates. Finite indeed! Classy looking cards which captured the action well.



As always, thanks for stopping by and having a squiz. Comments are always appreciated. Still a heap of cards to backscan so keep an eye out for my next mailday of NBA rising stars...

Cheers
Skip

 

[jwill7]

Such good memories...hard to believe it was over a decade ago! Love the photography on the Leaps and Bounds GU card...wish Panini did a better job with theirs

 

[penny collector]

Nice work skip! Love the 2 finites at the end, really love that design with the on card autos!

 

[KB.]

Awesome cards. I was a franchise fan back in the day & still have a magic jersey of his.

 

[tcorbal]

Awesome finds mate, love the Topps Gallery design!! and Yao really took the pain of the game to the next level on that lay up on the finite auto lol

 

[King@James]

Wow, some great looking card there The Jersey heights looks cool

 

[Rogerbid23]

Pretty cool, Yao and Francis mailday, used to like watch Francis great PG.

 

[Awoj21]

Nice ming autos

 

[skip20]

Such good memories...hard to believe it was over a decade ago! Love the photography on the Leaps and Bounds GU card...wish Panini did a better job with theirs

Remembering the good old days is a great way to make myself feel old! lol Great action shot on the Leaps a& Bounds, the little man could fly!

Nice work skip! Love the 2 finites at the end, really love that design with the on card autos!

Action pic, on card auto and a background which is nice but doesn't distract from the key elements - classically cool and understated.

Awesome cards. I was a franchise fan back in the day & still have a magic jersey of his.

Not exactly the Franchise's finest year but I'll pay anything before his career ending stint with the Knicks... Marbury and Francis was never destined to work on any level!

Awesome finds mate, love the Topps Gallery design!! and Yao really took the pain of the game to the next level on that lay up on the finite auto lol

The excruciating stress of the layup was indeed well captured! I can only imagine there was a hard foul only a few micro seconds after that pic!

Wow, some great looking card there The Jersey heights looks cool

Jersey Heights is the bomb - it just screams 'streetball'!

Pretty cool, Yao and Francis mailday, used to like watch Francis great PG.

He was definitely one of the best. Under-rated as a player and now basically forgotten! How quickly we forget!

Nice ming autos

Thanks mate, always good to grab an auto or two of those player who helped to shape the game.

 

[Roydngr]

Beautiful pickups
Yeah... you can almost feel Yao's pain in that last pic! Haha

 

[skip20]

Beautiful pickups
Yeah... you can almost feel Yao's pain in that last pic! Haha

Maybe it was the start of one of his man, many foot injuries..... Classic card anyway, definitely better than him shooting some FTs!

 

[jkidd05]

Two players who had their careers ended too soon. One of them uses his fame for philanthropic causes, the other is now known for getting beaten up at rap concerts .

 

[skip20]

Two players who had their careers ended too soon. One of them uses his fame for philanthropic causes, the other is now known for getting beaten up at rap concerts .

I never knew Yao got beaten up at rap concerts..... lol Amazing how different folks from different strokes end up on a team at any given point in time....

 

[Supercharged Collection]

Sweet pick up Skip - those Finite on card autos are gorgeous!

 

[Yoshi]

Nice!!!!

 

[skip20]

Sweet pick up Skip - those Finite on card autos are gorgeous!

Sure are Henri, just like your Double D mailday there's always something nice about a good matching pair!

Nice!!!!

Cheers Shane - just part of my very diverse cardboard collection!

 

[Aronzo33]

Steve Francis was a great player, would have been awesome if he had won a championship with Yao. That Press Pass signature is beautiful, hate it when players sigs progressively get worse. Francis sig turned into a STF lol very nice lot btw

 

[skip20]

Steve Francis was a great player, would have been awesome if he had won a championship with Yao. That Press Pass signature is beautiful, hate it when players sigs progressively get worse. Francis sig turned into a STF lol very nice lot btw

At least it wasn't a STFU auto! lol Actually, that would've been pretty collectible too!

 

[brandonlec]

Sweet additions!

-Brandon

 

[skip20]

Sweet additions!
-Brandon

Thanks Brandon - everybody loves a matching pair!