NBA 20th Anniversary Countdown #19: 2004-05 Topps Total

As it turned out, position #19 was the hardest one to choose. This is actually the fourth different set I had originally had slotted into the spot. Then I got to thinking about it more and I realized I liked another set more than the one I currently had in the slot. This one eventually won out. 19 was harder than 20th because although I love the concept of the Topps 10 set, the design was weak enough that it earned a spot in the top 20, but I knew it would go no higher.

#19: 2004-05 Topps Total

Why I like it: It's size. At 440 cards, it covers most of the players in the league. Even better, it also includes coaches and was the first set in NBA history to include assistant coaches and mascots! The 2005-06 Topps Total set is the only other set to do so, but the design of the 2004-05 set is much better.

Set size/Completion: 440 cards/I have 332 of them, 75.5% according to the Database.

The concept of the Topps Total set was to include as many players as possible- something I had hopes for 2015-16 Complete, but Panini only issued 330 cards while the NBA has 450 players. The 2004-05 Topps Total set also included what I believe are the first card images taken from a practice facility.

The back of the card is a bit of a letdown.

Most of the back is filled with useless stuff. A concept called Total should have included career stats, and it barely even touched the previous season's stats. But it was colorful, which I like.

The set featured a silver bordered parallel, a handful of rather generic inserts and printing plates, one of which I pulled from my box when the set was new. (Richard Jefferson - black)

Not all of the photos chosen were action shots, which, being a late season release, was a little bit of a letdown:

This is the only printing plate I've ever pulled for the NBA. I have some others that I got on Ebay.

• 20. 2002-03 Topps 10
• 19. 2004-05 Topps Total