The back of sports cards has long been fertile ground for curiosities. Whether it’s former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Pedro Borbón’s 1970 Topps card that declares his hobby to be cock fighting or former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Bruce Hill’s 1990 Fleer card saying “Bruce is really only six years old — he was born on leap year day in 1964,” you never know what you’ll find.
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While the words found on the backside of trading cards could range from interesting to mundane, collectors had never thought to question the author’s authenticity until now.
Last week, X user @Ravers posted several pictures of basketball cards from the recently released Panini Signature Series set for Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe and several other players and raised concerns about the descriptions on the backs of the cards.
“Seriously, what is this @PaniniAmerica???” the account asked, after earlier accusing the company of producing “AI slop cards.”
First, it sounds like Edgecombe could be on Smokey the Bear’s most-wanted list.
“Edgecombe is a spark in the dry grass. One moment he’s harmless, the next he’s racing down the floor setting everything on fire — defenders, rims, expectations. Transition triples, thunderous drives, sudden steals. He doesn’t so much heat up as ignite, and the game rarely survives unscorched once he does.”
Then, Edgecombe might have made a cameo in “Twister.”
“Under flickering gym lights, Edgecombe plays like a rogue thunderstorm on roller skates. One second calm, the next spinning into crossovers that make defenders question gravity itself. He crashes the rim like lightning seeking a target, leaving crowds gasping and opponents wondering when the forecast turned lethal.”
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And then maybe Edgecombe appeared in a “Twister” sequel.
“Edgecombe dribbles like someone turned gravity into a prank. One moment he’s earthbound, the next he’s tiptoeing across air currents only he can see. Defenders swear they heard wind chimes when he launched that last jumper — a sound marking yet another night where physics politely sat this one out.”
Edgecombe, who has an exclusive autograph deal with Panini, has many cards in the Signature Series set, some of which feature standard, back-of-card text, while others are still raising questions among collectors. For comparison, here are descriptions of Edgecombe on the backs of three different cards from the 2025-26 Topps Chrome basketball set:
“Edgecombe’s tenacity, verticality and momentum-shifting plays made him Baylor’s heartbeat in 2024/25. The eye-popping athlete logged nine games with at least 10 points and three steals, which ranked second in the Big 12 Conference. VJ also won Big 12 Rookie of the Year after ranking in the loop’s top 20 for PPG (13th), APG (19th) and SPG (fourth).”
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“VJ always seems one step ahead on the defensive end. He pokes his hands into the passing lanes with perfect timing, triggering the fast break the other way.”
“VJ took a star turn in his sole season at Baylor, earning 2024/25 Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors. He ranked fourth in the conference with 68 steals.”
When asked if the company uses humans or AI to write the blurbs on its cards, referring specifically to these Edgecombe descriptions, Panini said in a statement to The Athletic: “Panini has a full-time, dedicated team of real people, many of which are former sports writers that write trading card backs for Panini products.”
This isn’t the first time Panini has been accused of using AI to produce information on its trading cards. Collectors have suspected that several Downtown insert cards within Panini’s 2024 Donruss set used AI, particularly a Michael Penix/Bijan Robinson card where the Atlanta Falcons logo faces the wrong way on an oddly lined football field.
The thread from @Ravers didn’t stop with Edgecombe.
Here’s a description on the back of an autographed card from the same 2025 Signature Series set of Minnesota Timberwolves center Joan Beringer:
“Beringer plays like a storm-chaser in his own movie. He runs headlong into chaos, chasing rebounds, diving for steals, firing passes through tight spaces. Then he spots the break and unleashes a 3 that lands like thunder. Crowds don’t just watch his game — they weather them.”
Beringer didn’t attempt a single three-point shot in his rookie season with Minnesota, nor did he attempt any with Slovenian team Cedevita Olimpija in 2024-25, according to Basketball Reference.
Another set has a description on the back of a Patrick Ewing card from the 2024 Panini Prizm Black set:
“A pro in the art of perspiration, Ewing famously drenched his iconic New York jersey and omnipresent wristbands in a hard-earned lather. The big man wasn’t alone. Forcing himself onto foes like a sweater two sizes too small, he tightened his grip and turned opponents into panicked pools.”
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