2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Emblems of Endorsement #EM-LJ LeBron James Signed Game-Used Patch Rookie Card (#11/15) - BGS NM-MT+ 8.5, Beckett 10

Graded NM-MT+ 8.5 by BGS, with Autograph Grade 10 by Beckett (0015405921). Rookie Card. Ageless NBA titan LeBron James—the newest member of the Philadelphia 76ers—has placed his blue-ink on-card signature on this ultra-prestigious Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Emblems of Endorsement debut-year collectible that emanates from the inaugural Upper Deck Exquisite Collection basketball issue. A pair of multicolored game-used jersey patches highlights the cardfront. The 2003-04 NBA season brought with it two developments that would change the basketball card-collecting hobby forever. First, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected James with the first overall pick in the '03 NBA Draft, ushering in an era of hardwood dominance that continues, improbably, to this very day. Second, Upper Deck released its first-ever basketball-themed Exquisite Collection issue, setting a brand-new standard for high-end trading card excellence that has been consistently imitated, but never replicated, by competing manufacturers. James redefined the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of a 21st-century basketball superstar, and the '03-04 Exquisite production ushered in an era of upscale, investment-worthy elegance. Presented is one of the finest collaborations between those two totems of excellence: an ultra-scarce, undeniably praiseworthy Emblems of Endorsement collectible that pairs James' hard-signed autograph (complete with an unsurpassable "10" Autograph Grade from Beckett) with two multicolored game-used memorabilia patches.

By way of comparison to James' other patch-auto rookie cards from the '03-04 Exquisite Collection production, his #EM-LJ Emblems of Endorsement piece boasts essentially unsurpassable scarcity. This piece, numbered out of only 15 copies, boasts a scarcer print run than James' base RPA (99 copies), patch-parallel RPA (23 copies), Limited Logos (75 copies), Number Piece Autographs (23 copies), Noble Nameplates (25 copies), Patches Autographs (100 copies), and Scripted Swatches cards (25 copies). In fact, this is the lowest serial-numbered single-subject James patch-auto card in this entire production, standing alone atop a bevy of the most sought-after basketball cards of the past 25 years. Importantly, the patch components showcased are game-used, unlike the event-worn patches utilized on James' totemic #78 RPA. The card is brimming with high-end visual quality, making this one of the finest James showpieces ever issued via Upper Deck's innovative Exquisite Collection brand. The card's BGS condition report: Centering: 9.5, Corners: 8, Edges: 9, Surface: 9.5. A statement on the card affirms the manufacturer's guarantee of authenticity for the piece's content and serves as the item's COA. The limited-edition piece is serial-numbered "11/15."