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NBA players making their debut this season will wear a special patch on their shirts as part of a programme by trading card brand Topps, made by sports company Fanatics.<\/b><\/p>\n
Any player making their debut will wear the patch on their shirt for their first game, before the patch is removed and placed onto a unique one-of-a-kind trading card.<\/p>\n
That trading card will not only consist of the debut patch, but will also have the player’s autograph on it.<\/p>\n
A similar programme of using debut patches on trading cards has been used by Topps trading cards in Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball previously.<\/p>\n
“Imagine having LeBron [James]’s, [Michael] Jordan’s, [Steph] Curry’s debut patch and what that would mean?” Fanatics Collectibles CEO Michael Mahan told ESPN.<\/p>\n
“Well, the next generational superstar will have a debut patch – the ultimate rookie card.”<\/p>\n
Fanatics have also announced plans to make special patch cards for the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
For those players, they will wear a gold NBA Logoman Patch which will then be used on rare trading cards.<\/p>\n
“Trading cards haven’t been associated with achievements, success and accolades: we’re going to bring that into trading cards,” added Mahan.<\/p>\n
The NBA season starts on Tuesday, 21 October. Among those who will make their debuts this year are Amari Williams, a British centre who was picked up in the NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics earlier this year.<\/p>\n
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything<\/i><\/a> team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n