Your Ultimate 2015-16 Select Basketball Checklist for Complete Collection Success

Let me take you back to that magical 2015-16 NBA season—the year Stephen Curry revolutionized basketball with his unprecedented 402 three-pointers while leading the Warriors to their historic 73-9 record. As a serious collector who's been building basketball card collections since the early 2000s, I can confidently say this particular Panini Select release represents one of the most compelling modern sets for both investment and pure collecting pleasure. What makes this season so special isn't just the statistical achievements, but how the game itself evolved—much like how Isaiah Thomas, then with the Celtics, described his approach: "If my shots weren't falling, I look for my teammates and I just play on how their defense is playing me." That adaptability and team-first mentality perfectly mirrors what makes collecting this set so rewarding—you need both focus and flexibility to build something truly complete.

I remember opening my first box of 2015-16 Select and immediately noticing the superior card stock quality compared to previous years—the cards just felt substantial in your hands, with that distinctive textured finish Panini perfected around this time. The set comprises approximately 200 base cards, though the real magic lies in the parallel variations and rookie selections. Having tracked sales data across eBay and major card shows for years, I can tell you the print run felt more controlled than some earlier releases—maybe around 15,000 complete sets produced if I had to estimate, though Panini never officially confirmed this number. What's undeniable is how the vibrant courtside photography captures that transitional era in basketball, where traditional positions were becoming increasingly fluid and three-point shooting was reshaping offensive strategies across the league.

The rookie class alone makes this set worth pursuing—Devin Booker's cards have appreciated roughly 800% since release, while Karl-Anthony Towns' Prizm parallels routinely fetch over $2,000 in PSA 10 condition. But here's where I differ from many collectors—I actually believe Select holds more long-term value than the more hyped Prizm series for this particular season. The die-cut patterns and exclusive insert designs like "Courtside" and "Tri-Color" simply have more character than the sometimes repetitive Prizm offerings. My personal collecting strategy focused heavily on the Concourse parallels—the silver variants numbered to 149 copies—because they strike that perfect balance between scarcity and availability. Trying to complete the entire Premier Level set with all parallels? That's a mission I attempted and ultimately abandoned after realizing some of the 1/1 printing plates would likely never surface publicly.

What fascinates me about building this checklist is how it tells the story of that specific basketball moment—the Warriors' dominance, Kobe's farewell tour, and emerging talents like Kristaps Porzingis all captured in one cohesive collection. I've probably spent close to $8,000 over five years assembling about 92% of the complete master set, and those last few elusive cards—particularly the Steph Curry auto patch numbered to 25—continue to haunt my collecting dreams. The beauty of Select's design that year was how it complemented the on-court action—the cards felt as dynamic as the games themselves, with backgrounds that seemed to pulse with energy reminiscent of actual arena lighting.

Tracking down the Zion Williamson rookie card from this set would be impossible of course—he was still in high school—but that's part of what makes the 2015-16 timeframe so perfectly contained. This was the last season before the absolute explosion of the investor-speculator market, meaning genuine collectors still had reasonable access to most cards without competing with hedge funds buying up sealed product. My advice after completing nearly the entire set? Focus on the Tri-Color parallels for your favorite players first—they're limited to 99 copies each but still relatively affordable for most non-superstars, typically between $50-150 raw. The holographic finish on those particular cards catches light in a way that simply doesn't photograph well—you need to see them in person to truly appreciate the quality.

Building this collection taught me to appreciate the subtle variations between different parallel sets—how the Club Level cards used different background patterns than the Courtside series, creating visual continuity while maintaining distinct identities. I made the mistake early on of chasing every single parallel for my favorite players, only to realize I'd have been better served completing one full parallel set across all players. The financial commitment isn't insignificant—a complete base set will run you about $300-400, while chasing all the autograph and memorabilia cards could easily push the total investment beyond $20,000. But holding that near-complete binder and seeing the entire season unfold through the cards remains one of my most satisfying collecting experiences—right up there with pulling a Kobe Bryant jersey card from 2003-04 Upper Deck.

The true test of any collection comes down to emotional resonance years later, and my 2015-16 Select set still brings me more joy than any other modern collection I've assembled. It captures that sweet spot where Panini's quality control was peaking before the company became overwhelmed by pandemic-era demand. The cards from this release still smell distinctly of that high-quality printing ink when you open fresh packs—a sensory detail most collectors notice but rarely discuss. If you're considering embarking on this collecting journey yourself, start with the base set and the "Stars of the NBA" insert series before diving into the parallel rabbit hole. Trust me—your wallet will thank you for taking that measured approach, even if the completionist in you screams to chase everything at once. This set represents not just great basketball cards, but a tangible piece of basketball history from one of the sport's most transformative seasons.