I'll go ahead and start with a popular set for 1997. This was the genesis of what would become a multi-sport monster. 1997 EX 2000 was the first year of the famed Essential Credentials parallels. That year, instead of the numbering system used for most releases from 1998 on, with the Future and Now versions, the 1997 set had a Credentials parallel numbered to 299 along with the Essential Credentials parallel numbered to 99 (which was tiny for the time). Even the base cards in this set are amazing.
Base:
Credentials /299:
Essential Credentials /99:
Here's a backlit view of the Essential Credentials to show the translucent sky in the background:
