NBA Top Shot Playoffs Deep Dive
The NBA Playoffs are delivering iconic performances every night.
With at least one Game 7 looming this weekend and playoff legacies being written in real time, we’ve introduced Ultimate tier Moments from the Playoffs — the most exclusive tier in our ecosystem. This deep dive answers key questions about how this new format works, why it was introduced, and how it’s designed to benefit both collectors and the long-term health of NBA Top Shot.
Why Playoff Ultimate Moments?
The NBA Playoffs are the most important stretch of the season — where rivalries peak, stars become heroes, dynasties are born, and every possession carries championship weight. That gravity deserves to be reflected in the product.
By introducing Ultimate Moments from the Playoffs, we’re spotlighting the league’s most defining plays in a new format — pairing unforgettable on-court performances with strategic collecting at every step. It’s a bold evolution that turns the biggest plays into catalysts for action in the Top Shot marketplace.
This year marks a shift in precedent. Before this postseason, Ultimate Moments were reserved exclusively for rookies — a precedent we didn’t take lightly in moving away from. But the Playoffs are a natural stage for players to become legends and for collectors to chase history in real time. This shift allows us to better align the most important NBA Moments with the highest level of our collectible tiers: controlled, earned, and respected.
Cross-Tier Collecting: One Play, Many Paths
In recent seasons, we’ve introduced successful cross-tier content like Rookie Debuts and Rookie Ultimates — where a single play is treated differently depending on its tier. That model returns with Playoff content across Common, Rare, Legendary, and Ultimate tiers.
Importantly, while these collectibles may capture the same memory for fans, they evolve dramatically in storytelling and depth at each level. For example, Tyrese Haliburton’s series-clinching performance from Round 1 appears in multiple tiers:
- Common and Rare: Feature his overtime game-winner.
- Legendary: Expands to include key plays throughout OT.
- Ultimate: Showcases the full arc of Haliburton’s brilliance — including defensive gems, clutch shot-making, and the defining sequence that sparked a 7-0 run in the final 40 seconds.
This tiered approach invites collectors of all kinds to engage, while reinforcing that higher tiers offer not just scarcity, but substance.
Ultimate Distribution and Scarcity
Each Ultimate Moment is minted to /10, with strict release constraints:
- 2 of 10 are released via pack drops, with a 48-hour $4,500 buyback offer.
- 5 of 10 are earnable by burning five eligible Legendary Moments of the same player from the 2025 Playoffs set.
- 3 of 10 are available through trade-in auctions, where collectors submit high-value Moments (minimum $3,000 average sale price) from the featured player as bids.
Any of the 8 earnable Moments that remain unclaimed are burned permanently. That means many Ultimates may finish with mint counts under 10 — reinforcing long-term scarcity and increasing the prestige of each one distributed.
Here's a visual breakdown of how Moments across all tiers are distributed in the first round:
Note: All unclaimed Moments will be burned following their respective upgrade/trade-in windows.
Value-Backed Scarcity: Legendary & Rare Mechanics
Scarcity at the top tiers start with intentional supply controls at every level. Here's how it works:
Legendary Playoff Moments
Legendary Moments from the Playoffs will not be mass-released — they’ll only enter the ecosystem when collectors:
- Value them at $200+ and decide to keep them instead of accepting a strong buyback offer,
- Burn $200+ worth of Rare Moments through crafting (10 new Playoff Rares from the corresponding player to earn 1 new Playoff Legendary from the player), or
- Trade in past high-value Moments at a minimum of 2 Legendaries from that player or $300+ in average sale price.
This ensures that Legendary Moments are backed by real collector intent, not speculative oversupply. Each Legendary Moment minted represents real demand, and reduces circulating Rare supply — reinforcing the entire ecosystem’s value.
Meanwhile, Rare Moments from the Playoffs will only enter circulation when collectors:
- Value them at $20+ and decide to keep them instead of accepting a strong buyback offer,
- Burn $20+ worth of Rare Moments through crafting (10 new Playoff Commons from the corresponding player to earn 1 new Playoff Rare from the player), or
- Trade in past Moments at a minimum of 2 Rares from that player or $30+ of ASP.
Each Ultimate minted shrinks Legendary supply. Each Legendary minted shrinks Rare supply. Each Rare minted shrinks Common supply, while signaling strong collector demand.
The result: scarce, desirable, value-driven tiers that drives engagement and power upward progressions in the ecosystem.
Collector Incentives: Why This Model Works
This new model offers a value-driven, aspirational framework for engaged collectors:
- Controlled Supply
Every Ultimate only enters circulation if a collector chooses to burn $3,000+ of existing Moments or keep one pulled from a $4,500 pack. That ensures demand is real and scarcity is enforced. - Built for Conviction
With steep trade-in costs and strong buyback floors, Ultimates are built to reward long-term belief — not short-term flipping. - Tangible Prestige
Collectors who lock all 15 Playoff Ultimates receive the ring automatically. Each ring is personalized, engraved, and immortalized in-app — the physical crown jewel of digital collecting in 2025.
Buybacks: Trust and Flexibility
Buyback offers exist to remove friction from premium purchases. If a collector pulls a Moment they don’t want, the $4,500 offer ensures they can return it without financial regret. That safety net empowers exploration, while still protecting long-term collector value through low available supply.
Unclaimed Rare and Legendary Moments will be repackaged with similar buyback protections and redistributed. Any supply still remaining in Top Shot’s inventory by the NBA Draft will be permanently burned.
Live Drops, Powered by Playoff Action
Moment availability will be dictated by what happens on the court. On some nights, we may feature multiple Moments. On others, none. Our goal is to be responsive and timely — spotlighting only the most memorable, highest-impact plays.
Track Your Progress and Your Collection
Special for the NBA Playoffs, collectors can visualize their set progress with better ease and clarity than ever before.
The Bottom Line
This campaign represents a step forward in how we think about scarcity, collector incentives, and prestige. It breaks precedent thoughtfully, with strong guardrails and clear logic behind every new release.
We’ve designed Playoff Ultimates — and the broader Playoff ecosystem — to celebrate the NBA’s biggest Moments while deepening collector engagement across all tiers.
We appreciate the community’s feedback and participation. This Playoff run won’t just be memorable on the court — it will be unforgettable on Top Shot, too.
