The 1996-97 Skybox E-X2000 basketball set is among the few products that encapsulate the mid-to-late-1990s to its fullest. Cards felt futuristic and brought a different “air” to the market.

Despite not being a vintage product, high grades are tough to come by. This is mainly due to the sensitive nature of the cards, which has only been amplified over time. With an intricate design comprised of a framed border, die-cut player image, and transparent sheet decorated with clouds, as their primary background; is a bit reminiscent of an older Skybox insert, the 1995-96 Hoops Skyview.

The bulk of the set is comprised of 82 base cards, 80 if you exclude the checklists. While there are some very notable base cards (such as Michael Jordan), the 1996-97 NBA rookie class is what takes the cake, including Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury rookies.

The set actually has only one base parallel, the Credentials, numbered to 499, and can be distinguished by a pearl foil border and the word "CREDENTIALS" on the top right corner of the card front.

This post will cover:

• Set Overview
• By the Numbers – Key Insights and Observations
• Top 10 Most Expensive Cards from the Set
• Data Related to Unopened Boxes and Packs
• Set Checklist

1996 Skybox E-X2000 Set Overview

• Base Set: 82
• Insert = An insert cardaka (Chase Card) is a card that is randomly inserted into packs of a sports card offering. These insert cards are not part of the regular numbering system of a set of sports cards and they tend to have a unique design.
  • A Cut Above: 1:288 (10 Cards in total)
  • Net Assets Set: 1:20 (20 Cards in total)
  • Star Date 2000 Set: 1:9 (15 Cards in total)
  • Grant Hill Promos/Incentives: GH Emerald Autographed Redemption (1:500)
  • Autographics Set: 1:72 (Number of cards not disclosed)
• Refractors: A Refractor Cardis a card that has a reflective coating and displays a rainbow when held at a specific angle. They are parallels of base set issues.
  • Credentials (Parallel): Numbered to 499
  • ProFiles Set
  • Seasons’s Best Set
  • Youthquake Set
• Boxes
  • Each box contained 24 packs
  • Each pack contained 2 cards
  • Case production currently unknown
• Notable – Key players in the sets:
  • Kobe Bryant
  • Allen Iverson
  • Ray Allen
  • Steve Nash
  • Michael Jordan

By the Numbers – Key Insights and Observations

Despite the limited number of cards, the 1996-1997 Skybox E-X2000 featured high quality, cutting edge designs. As seen in the image above, the "Credentials" parallels (numbered to 499) featured die cut player images, accompanied by an off-white colored foil border, and cloud filled sky backgrounds. These cards are very rare and don't come up for sale very often, and when they do, top grades are hard to find due to the extreme condition sensitivity.

A good condition Credentials parallel however can yield very high returns.

Collecting the base set – Assuming perfect distribution, at 2 cards per pack, and 24 packs per box; you would need 2 boxes to complete the entire set of 80 base cards.

The base version of Kobe Bryant also made our list. This card is almost identical to the rare "Credentials" parallel with the only exception being the different colored border. Despite being part of the base set (having a higher encounter rate) these cards are too prone to wear and chipping along the colored edges. The fragile nature of the cards makes getting a PSA 10 extremely rare. This can easily make the card’s value skyrocket and should not be overlooked, even if it’s part of the Base Set.

Top 10 Key Cards from the 1996 Skybox E-X2000 Set

The top 10 highest priced cards of the 1996 E-X2000 basketball set included:

1996 Skybox E-X2000 Unopened Boxes and Packs

1996-97 Skybox E-X2000 Basketball Set Checklist

Base Set

A Cut Above Set Checklist

Net Assets Set Checklist

Star Date 2000 Set Checklist

Grant Hill Promos / Incentives Set Checklist

Grant Hill Emerald Autographed Basketball Redemption (1:500 packs)
Grant Hill Oversized Case Incentive #/3000
Grant Hill Sample Promo

Autographics Set Checklist (1996-97 Skybox Autographics Set Checklist)

The cards are found throughout 1996-97 Fleer/Skybox products. They are listed alphabetically as they are not numbered.