To put it mildly, defense in the NBA has been on a decline. For evidence, look no further than the rule changes in recent years, the increase in scoring across the board and the even the league’s All-Star Game that’s come increasingly under fire for its aversion to anything resembling a regular basketball game.
It wasn’t always that way. Fleer made it a point to highlight the greatest shot blockers, thieves and all-around stoppers in the game with its Total D insert sets. In its inaugural insertion with Fleer’s base set in 1992-93, the Total D cards were a little tough to come by. They were included one in every five 32-card cello packs of Series 2. The cards were an homage to the less glamourous, yet incredibly important aspect of the game.
The 15 card set was an homage to the less glamorous, but important element of the game at a time when the league was much more rough and tumble.
The card fronts feature a full color image of the player against a thin but effective black border. The shiny and slick UV coating was an eye catcher, as was all of the gold foil stamping and the huge D that encompasses the card. The word Total is written in a cursive gold foil with a big letter D underneath. The player’s name is found in the same gold foil at the bottom of the card, and the Fleer 92-93 logo is found at the top and the same gold foil. It’s only fitting that most of the players are pictured making a play at the defensive end of the court.
The card backs have a very basic gray backdrop with a small portrait of the player inside a D shaped box. There is a sizable paragraph showcasing what makes the player such a defensive force.
The first card of the set features David Robinson. The Admiral is shown contesting a shot at the rim by then Knicks guard Doc Rivers. Robinson was a top 5 league leader in total blocks and blocks per game for the 1992-93 season and was voted an NBA All Defense Second Team member.
The second member of the Total D team is Pistons rebounding machine Dennis Rodman. He’s seen doing just that, ripping a rebound down in his always intense and spectacular fashion. The Worm led the league in rebounds per game with astonishing 18.3 during the 1992-93 NBA season.
Scottie Pippen is shown really D’ing up the Miami Heat on his card. Pippen made yet another NBA All-Defensive First Team that season, which was a common theme throughout his storied career. 
Detroit Pistons shooting guard Joe Dumars is found at card number four, putting pressure on San Antonio Spurs guard Lloyd Daniels with a hand in the face as Daniels looks to pass. Dumars was selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team in 1989, 1990 and 1992.
The entire Detroit Pistons team was known as the Bad Boys, and for good reason. The team set the tone league wide defensively, with its gritty, tough, hard-hitting, often times dirty defense. They weren’t called the Bad Boys for nothing. Joe kept it classy on the perimeter and just locked down the best shooter on the other team night in a night out.
Michael Jordan was a five time consecutive All-Defensive First Team selection by the time this card was printed. For all of his offensive accolades, MJ’s defense on the other end of the court was as equally dominant. Not only did Jordan lead the league in points per game in 1992-93, but he also led the league in steals per game at nearly three swipes a night. This card and the imagery on it is one of the more legendary of the era.
Utah’s point guard John Stockton is card number 6 in the set. For as many assists and buckets as Stockton gave on the offensive end, it felt like he took seemingly just as many away on the defensive end of the hardwood. Stockton ranked fourth in the league in steals that year, averaging nearly 2.5 per contest.
New York Knicks Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing is featured next. In 1992-93, Ewing led the league in defensive rebounds, ranked in the top 10 in blocks per game and was a dominant force in the paint for the Knickerbockers. Ewing is pictured on his card boxing out and ready to grab the rebound. Ewing was a defensive force in college and that mindset continued through his NBA career.
Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Micheal Williams is featured next. Baylor’s all time steals leader picked right up where he left off in the NBA, quickly becoming one of the top thieves in the game. Williams is pictured trying to pick Golden State Warriors point guard Tim Hardway’s pocket on his card.
Cleveland Cavaliers big man Larry Nance finds his way into the Total D set. The wildly underrated, gravity defying Nance blocked more shots than most fans remember and was even widely considered the best swatting forward in the game during his career. At the time this card was printed, Nance was already the NBA’s all time leading shot blocker as a forward.
Known for his hustle, grit and determination which included diving for loose balls and snagging rebounds, Portland Trailblazers forward Buck Williams makes the cut for the set. “Mr. Intangibles” was responsible for locking down Karl Malone, Kevin Willis and players of that stature during his career. 
Three time NBA steals champion, Milwaukee Bucks guard Alvin Robertson is found next in Total D. Awarded the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1986, his 301 steals during the 1985-86 campaign set the NBA single season record. Robertson has actually seen grabbing a rebound on his card. He could do it all.
One of the most iconic shot blockers in NBA history, Denver Nuggets center Dikembe Mutumbo is the 12th card in Fleer’s dedication to defense. Only in his third season in the league, the mountain of a man had already entrenched himself as one of the biggest defensive presences in the paint league wide. He was already earning All-Star Game appearances and ranking in the top 10 in the league in defensive rebounds, blocks and other statistical categories.
This list is heavy with thieving point guards and one of the greatest to ever do it, Mookie Blaylock, is next up in the set. Called a “Harassing Hawk” on his card back, that may be the most accurate two word description of the Hawks star and longtime elite defender.
It comes as no surprise to anyone that Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon is featured in this set. The Dream is pictured with the ball in his right hand as Matt Bullard looks on from ground level. In 1992-93, Olajuwon led the league in blocks and blocks per game, swatting away over 4 shots per night. Olajuwon was also a more than adept ball stealer, as he ranked very high league wide in steals per game.
Miami Heat center Rony Seikaly rounds out the set. Although definitely not one of the all time greats, Seikaly made drastic improvements, enough so to earn NBA Most Improved Player honors, to key parts of his game to be a force on the defensive end of the ball.
’92-93 Total D a very condition sensitive set with the black borders and foil and it’s not really valuable enough to have seen a lot of cards graded over the past 20 years. Of the approximately 1,100 examined by PSA, for example, there are only 58 10s, half of which are Jordan. In fact, Jordan accounts for about 72 percent of all of the 1992-93 Fleer Total D cards on the population report.
It’s not the easiest 1990s insert set to build, but certainly not out of reach for most collectors. Many of the cards in the set can be found online for just a few dollars each. High grade Jordans start at a little under $100. An SGC 10 sold just recently for $1,445.
In an era where the defensive end of the basketball court is almost non existent, it’s nice to have an old school offering that pays homage to those who got it done without putting the ball in the hole.
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