Josh Howard will never be one of the top three most collected NBA players from the 2003 draft. Some guys named LeBron, Carmelo and Dwyane have those spots locked up. But that doesn't matter to Howard's fans, who love his all-around game and feel that as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, he just may end up with the most championship rings when it's all said and done.
Had he been born five to ten years earlier, Howard never would have fallen to the 29th pick of the draft's first round. His stellar four-year career at Wake Forest and his unanimous selection as Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year his senior year would have made him one of the hottest prospects around. Howard just had the misfortune of coming to age in an era when drafting younger players who left school early - or never went to college at all - was becoming the norm.
Scouts looked at Howard's well-rounded skills and wondered if he'd ever stand out in any area in the NBA. The Mavs also seemed unsure of what they had at first, and he didn't become a fixture in the starting lineup until his second season in the pros. He hasn't looked back since, increasing his scoring average in every season and putting up remarkably consistent numbers in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
As a running mate to Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, Howard almost became the first member of his ballyhooed draft class to play a major role on a championship team. His Mavericks had the Miami Heat down 2-0 in the 2006 NBA Finals, but fellow 2003 draftee Dwayne Wade led a tremendous comeback to win the title and MVP honors.
Fortunately for Howard and his fans, the Mavs have the look of a squad that will be a contender for some time to come. Collectors who want to jump on the Howard bandwagon and grab his rookie cards will be pleased to know that since he fell so far in the draft, he doesn't appear in the top rookie tier of most 2003-04 basketball card sets. That means his cards were generally printed in higher numbers than those of the top names, and even autographed jersey cards like his Bowman Signature Edition # 93 and SPx # 176 are fairly easy to find.
Josh Howard 2003-04 Rookie Cards
- Black Diamond # 198
- Bowman # 111
- Bowman Chrome # 111
- Bowman Signature Edition # 93 - autographed jersey card #'d to 1111
- E-X # 76
- Exquisite Collection # 53 - autographed jersey card #'d to 225
- Finest # 148 - autographed, #'d to 999
- Flair # 91 - #'d to 500
- Flair Final Edition # 80 - #'d to 799
- Fleer Authentix # 129 - #'d to 1250
- Fleer Focus # 136 - #'d to 499
- Fleer Genuine Insider # 112 - #'d to 799
- Fleer Mystique # 116 - #'d to 999
- Fleer Patchworks # 104 - #'d to 799
- Fleer Platinum # 198 - #'d to 500
- Fleer Showcase # 106 - #'d to 1000
- Fleer Tradition # 289
- Hoops Hot Prospects # 109 - autographed jersey card #'d to 400
- SkyBox Autographics # 52 - #'d to 1500
- SkyBox LE # 120 - #'d to 399
- SP Authentic # 173 - autographed, #'d to 1250
- SP Game Used # 135 - #'d to 999
- SP Signature Edition # 129 - #'d to 499
- SPx # 176 - autographed jersey card #'d to 1999
- Topps # 249
- Topps Bazooka # 225
- Topps Chrome # 139
- Topps Contemporary Collection # 16
- Topps Jersey Edition # JHO - jersey card
- Topps Pristine # 185
- UD Glass # 76 - #'d to 1100
- Ultimate Collection # 152 - autographed, #'d to 250
- Ultra # 191
- Upper Deck # 329
- Upper Deck Finite # 215 - #'d to 1500
- Upper Deck Hardcourt # 113 - #'d to 1999
- Upper Deck Honor Roll # 96 - #'d to 2999
- Upper Deck Legends # 104 - #'d to 1999
- Upper Deck MVP # 229
- Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives # 24
- Upper Deck Standing O # 113
- Upper Deck Sweet Spot # 119 - #'d to 999
- Upper Deck Triple Dimensions # 105 - #'d to 1999
- Upper Deck Victory # 129