The inaugural Hoops set is a genuine classic. As it was my first set of basketball cards, it is impossible for me not to view it through dewy nostalgia. Nonetheless, the set is notable. On the front of the card, the player image is generally an in-action shot bordered in a team-colored outline of the key and free throw circle that is distinctive of the Hoops set. The team name is printed along the baseline in white text using the font of the team (check out the awesome Trail Blazers font for an example). All-Star cards featured a red border speckled with white stars with the player names printed along the baseline in white. The back of the card brought other innovations, including an additional player photo (this time posed), different colors for the enclosing border and team logos, and detailed information that goes well beyond what basketball cards had featured for quite some time. Yet another new addition was the inclusion of cards for coaches, which featured their win-loss records for both the regular season and playoffs along the back.

The set was also quite extensive, with 300 cards in Series 1 and another 53 in Series 2, meaning that there are several rookie cards of veteran players.