2025-26 Topps Inception Basketball: Checklist, Rookies, and Best Cards to Chase

2025-26 Topps Inception Basketball is here, and it marks a significant milestone for the brand: this is the first time the basketball version of Inception has been fully licensed by the NBA. The result is a product that pairs Inception’s signature artistic designs and premium autograph content with an official NBA checklist loaded with top veterans, all-time legends, and one of the deepest rookie classes in recent memory. Hobby boxes deliver one autograph per box, keeping the focus squarely on quality over quantity. Whether you’re chasing a Cooper Flagg rookie auto, a Dylan Harper First Milestone relic, or a legend signature from Allen Iverson, there’s a lot to dig into. For a full rundown of every card available, Beckett has the complete 2025-26 Topps Inception Basketball checklist.

2025-26 Topps Inception Basketball Overview

The base set runs 100 cards covering all 30 NBA teams, with numbered parallels available across the checklist. First Day Issue (FDI) boxes appeared on June 18, 2026, priced at a Dutch Auction opening of $1,500, and include one exclusive FDI autograph plus one additional autograph or autograph relic. Standard hobby presales open June 23, 2026, with one autograph guaranteed per hobby box. This is also the product’s first year as a fully licensed NBA release, which adds official team branding across the base set and autograph inserts.

The rookie class is exceptional. Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks), Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs), Ace Bailey (Utah Jazz), and Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets) headline a deep group of first-year players spread across multiple autograph sets. Veterans like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, and Jalen Brunson add star power throughout, while legends Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal appear in Persistent Marks.

Box Configuration

Hobby boxes contain 7 cards per pack, 1 pack per box, with one autograph guaranteed. FDI boxes follow the same 7-card format but include one FDI-stamped autograph plus one additional autograph or autograph relic.

Base Set & Inserts

The 100-card base set carries the layered, vivid artwork Inception is known for, now with full NBA licensing. Two insert sets round out the unsigned content: Launch and Splashdown.

Launch

Launch captures NBA stars mid-flight in dynamic action photography. The set showcases the league’s most explosive players. Anthony Edwards’ card is a prime example of the format, built around the kind of high-energy imagery that makes Inception inserts stand out.

Splashdown

Splashdown honors the game’s best shooters with a colorful paint-splash aesthetic. Jalen Brunson’s card captures the New York Knicks guard mid-pull-up, surrounded by swirling color that makes these among the most visually striking cards in the unsigned portion of the set.

Autographs

Rookie Autographs

The base Rookie Autograph set covers the 2025-26 NBA rookie class in both vertical and horizontal formats. These are on-card autographs on Inception’s distinctive card stock. Cooper Flagg is the centerpiece of the rookie auto chase. His 1/1 is surely to be one of the most expensive hits to come out of the product.

Silver Signings

Silver Signings are horizontal cards with on-card autographs in bold silver ink, one of Inception’s most iconic sets. The checklist mixes top veterans and rookies, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Cooper Flagg all appear here. The 1/1 Gold Ink Inscription variations take it a step further, adding a personal inscription in gold ink on a black design. Flagg’s “Go Mavs!” inscription on the Gold Ink version is a standout pull from the entire product.

Dawn of Greatness Autographs

Dawn of Greatness is a rookie-focused autograph set with bold gold foil lettering and a design built to put first-year talent front and center. Ace Bailey and Kon Knueppel are both featured here, with numbered parallels available throughout. The 1/1 versions of Dawn of Greatness are some of the most visually commanding cards in the product.

Persistent Marks

Persistent Marks is Inception’s legends autograph set. It brings in players whose signatures and legacies define the sport. Allen Iverson’s Camo parallel numbered 03/10 is the kind of pull that ends up in a collection forever. Dark, bold designs give these cards a completely different feel from the rookie-focused sets in the same product.

Autograph Relics

NBA First Milestone Autograph Relics

This is one of the most compelling concepts in the product. First Milestone Autograph Relics pair an on-card autograph with a piece of game-used memorabilia tied directly to a specific first in a rookie’s NBA career. Dylan Harper’s card includes a piece of the net from the game where he scored his first NBA points: 15 off the bench against the Mavericks on October 22, 2025. Cards like this go beyond a standard relic hit and cross into something closer to a historical artifact, and they’re among the most meaningful things Topps produces.

Rookie Jumbo Relic Autographs

Rookie Jumbo Relic Autographs give first-year stars an oversized memorabilia piece alongside an on-card autograph. Kon Knueppel’s Blue parallel numbered 01/25 shows a large swatch of his Charlotte Hornets game-worn jersey. These are substantial cards that stand out as display pieces for collectors.

Dual Rookie Relic Autographs

Two of the top rookies in the class share space on Dual Rookie Relic Autographs. The Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper pairing is a natural fit given both players’ draft pedigree, with player-worn memorabilia from each alongside their on-card signatures.

Rookie Relic Autograph Booklets

Booklet cards are among the rarest formats Topps produces, and Inception’s Rookie Relic Autograph Booklets stack two autographs and two memorabilia pieces in a multi-panel layout. A Dylan Harper and Cooper Flagg booklet is exactly the kind of card that anchors a product for years. Two top picks from the same draft class on a numbered booklet that opens like a book.

Gold Electricity Relic Autographs

The Gold Electricity parallel applies a holographic, multi-color rainbow background to relic autograph cards, making them some of the most visually arresting cards in the set. Victor Wembanyama’s Gold Electricity card numbered 01/50 features two oversized jersey swatches and an on-card signature, making it an awesome pull from the product.

Checklist Highlights

The 100-card base set covers all 30 teams with a mix of stars, veterans, and rookies. Key names across autograph and insert sets include Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel, Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In the Persistent Marks legends set, Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal are confirmed signers.

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