By any account, Melvin Ely has had an unremarkable NBA career through five seasons. Of a possible 410 games, Ely has played in just 260 contests, including just 30 this season. Of those games, Ely started in 48 of them, with the last start coming during the 2005-06 season. Originally a draft pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2002, he played two seasons in Los Angeles before he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. He spent a little while longer on the east coast than the west, but a 2007 trade sent Ely to a third American border when he became a member of the San Antonio Spurs. For the first time as a pro, he became a member of a team who played in the post-season.

The forward-center, who was a first round selection (12th overall) after a four-year college career, was on a number of cards in his rookie campaign. One of the two in the Epinions database was issued by Upper Deck in its MVP set. The shot on the front shows Ely in a game shot from his college days at Fresno State. To the left of Ely are the brand logo, his NBA team, and a rookie designation. Below the shot are another reminder of the Upper Deck product, his name, and his position. On the back are a head shot of the front photo and and basic information about Ely and his college play. The Ely rookie card is #198 in that season's 220-card set. The value of the card, according to the May 2007 issue of Beckett Basketball magazine, is $1.25. I was fortunate enough to get the card at my local card store, where they parted with it for just one dollar.

I am not a fan of this card because it violates one of my commandments of cardmaking: Though shalt not use a college photograph on a card that focuses on their pro career. In the 2002-03 season, SAGE was the company who made basketball cards for new pros and prospective pros, including Ely. Since their focus is the NBA draft and free agency, SAGE never pictures a player in an NBA uniform. Also, Upper Deck plays its own little game of "Where's Waldo?" with the text. For example, the word "rookie" appears three times on the card front. Until I sat down to write this piece, I saw that word only once. Another infamous element of many Upper Deck cards manifests itself here. Much of the print is so small, it makes the print on the bottom line of a Snellen eye chart look large by comparison. Upper Deck has plenty of room for text, but here, they leave a lot of empty space on this card. While I would have preferred a shot of Ely in Clippers uniform, I did like the shot itself, as it isolates Ely with the ball, and keeping a defender at bay. Otherwise, this card has nothing to offer, unless collectors need it to build a complete collection of his cards.

Melvin Ely is one of a number of my local heroes who has made their way into professional sports. Ely's high school basketball team also saw two other players make it in the pros. Antwaan Randle El won a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005, and spent the 2006 season with the Washington Redskins. Tai Streets made the pros two years before his teammates, and spent five years as an NFL wide receiver. In Charlotte, Ely found a niche for himself as a defender and shot blocker. Only time will tell if he will continue in that role for the Spurs beyond the 2006-07 season.


This is an entry in the "Let's Go Database Diving" write-off hosted by rkingfish. The following hyperlink will direct you to the spot where you can dive.


Thanks again Rick.

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