Detroit Pistons: Most expensive Pistons on NBA Top Shot

The Detroit Pistons have more value than they realized.

On Sunday afternoon, over 200,000 basketball fans from all walks of life found themselves in the same spot: furiously refreshing their browsers to get in line for the newest pack drop on NBA Top Shot.

With just about 32,000 packs available, most prospective buyers would come away empty-handed. But even those who could purchase it left empty-handed. Huh?

What is NBA Top Shot?

What these fans just bought is a pack of digital cards called “moments” featuring, well, cool in-game video moments from NBA players. Like real trading cards, these moments range from common to rare and are produced with limited availability.

If you’re not one of the lucky ones to buy a pack at its drop, there is an online marketplace of sellers looking to trade cards for cash or cryptocurrency.

The same way a collector would have their card authenticated by a reputable institution, these cards are pre-authenticated and come with unique serial numbers by virtue of their presence on the blockchain it runs on.

This allows anyone to view exactly who possesses the card at any given time. These moments are licensed by the NBA to Top Shot’s creator, Dapper Labs, and generate revenue for the league and player when they are sold.

You might be asking how this is any different from looking up a video on YouTube for free. The short answer is that it’s not different. It’s just not the real thing. I could print out a Honus Wagner card and frame it on my wall but we all know it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.

A lot of terminology has been thrown around, but the overall concept is simple: they are digital cards that have exploded in value lately. An ultra-rare LeBron James moment sold for over $200,000 in late February. Even the most mundane, common cards sell for $15, more than the pack it came from.

The NBA is often deemed a progressive league for its social adaptability. Its foray into blockchain technology through Top Shot is the latest example of being at the forefront of modernity in sports.

The Detroit Pistons, as one could imagine, are not drawing six-figure valuations for any of their moments. With no All-Stars and a roster that may leave casual fans scratching their heads, that is to be expected. But Pistons players have still garnered some lofty prices that exemplify how rapidly Top Shot has grown.

The only current Pistons who have moments in Detroit uniforms so far are Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes, Mason Plumlee and Svi Mylhailiuk.

Josh Jackson, Delon Wright, and Dennis Smith Jr. have moments from their previous teams.

The departed Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, Christian Wood, and Langston Galloway all have moments from their time with the Pistons.

Here is how the best moments from players in Pistons get-ups have fared.