Panini America, Irving, Texas, the exclusive trading-card partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), announced that it has reached agreements with recent NBA draftees Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay and Jerian Grant.
Towns went first overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Russell went second overall to the Los Angeles Lakers and Okafor was selected third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, while Mudiay went seventh overall to the Denver Nuggets and Grant was taken 19th overall by the New York Knicks via trade.
The agreement allows Panini America exclusive rights to produce NBA Rookie Cards, and autographed and collegiate trading cards of the players.
“The NBA Draft is always a key time for us at Panini America because it signifies the official start to a new season — and the grand introduction of the NBA’s next wave of superstars,” says Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “Many of the players selected Thursday night — including the five newest exclusive members of the Panini America family — will be driving forces for our licensed trading-card products for years to come; and that’s just as exciting for fans and collectors as it is for us.”
For more information, visit paniniamerica.net. — J.B.