The 1990-91 Skybox cards were part of the overproduced, “junk wax,” era, but there were some important rookie cards in the set. This Glen Rice card is one of those must-have rookies! It’s a wonderful contrast to his ’90-91 Hoops rookie card. This Skybox is more futuristic, while the Hoops is more classic. This contrast was, of course, by design. Turn over any ’90-91 Hoops or Skybox card and you will see an “NBA Properties, Inc.” copyright. This division of the NBA had a guiding hand in both Hoops and Skybox. These weren’t independent entities, so the contrast in the two sets was most certainly planned.
Skybox really distinguished itself with the image on the front. Some don’t like how the computerized backgrounds eliminate the majority of the photo. Others believe these cards put the emphasis completely on the player, without any distraction. Skybox also used the reverse for much more photo space than Hoops. And the Skybox reverse photos are interesting in that they feature more intimate photos of the player. They’re either from a non-basketball, public setting, or they’re casual, relaxed moments from games where it was possible to get a still face shot. This Glen Rice is from the second category. A famous example of a non-basketball shot is the Michael Jordan card where the reverse is of him golfing!
Just a quick look at a card I enjoy, but I hope it at least gave some new perspective on the ’90-91 skybox cards.
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