1996-97 Upper Deck SP Complete Set - Kobe Bryant RC

The 1996-97 SP Basketball base set has 146 cards. Veterans occupy the first 126 spots on the checklist. The design has lots going on but maintains a look that isn't overly busy. A pair of stripes run down the right side of the card with the team name running vertically in the second one. A thin foil stripe runs on the inside, vertically up the side and horizontally along the bottom to make a name plate. A cluster of SP logos are in the bottom-left corner as well as a prominent foil one in the top-left.

Rookie cards, the final 20 cards in the set, have a totally different design. A posed portrait takes up most of the card. A large blue stripe runs vertically up the left side of the card, acting as a name plate. It also notes the Premier Prospects subset. 1996-97 SP Basketball has several top rookie cards, including Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson.