The 1997-98 Topps Basketball product was a solid flagship release that houses the rookie cards of two of the all time greats in San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan and Toronto Raptors guard Tracy McGrady.
The standard Topps design that season was nice but nothing to write home about, per se, but one insert set that really caught the eyes of collectors right out of the packs was something called “Rock Stars.”
Randomly inserted at a rate of about one per 144 Series 1 packs, the set consisted of 20 cards utilizing the unmistakable Topps Finest technology as well as a die- cut top border. Refractor versions were also available.
The top border of the card featured, as the set name might indicate, four rocks that that each held a letter of the word ‘rock’. Below the rock formation was the word ‘Stars’ in a bright, shiny gold text. The center of the card had an action shot of the player featured on what could be interpreted as a slab on concrete of a background.
The side and bottom borders were a somewhat jagged gold. The player’s name is featured in the lower corner of the card while the unmistakable Topps logo was featured towards the top of the card.
The card back was designed with a grayish boulder like background, with a portrait image front and center.
The player’s name, team and position were listed right below the small image. The middle and bottom of the card featured the player’s All Star game record and a quick paragraph about the player’s performance in past All-Star games.
The first card in the set is appropriate as it’s the biggest rock star in the history of the game. MJ is taking a shot with Sacramento kings Corliss Williamson and Olden Polynice looking helpless in the background. Jordan was wrapping up his tenure with the Bulls and walked away with a championship and the league’s MVP award in 1997-98.
Fellow North Carolina shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse is featured in the second card of the set. Stack is seen sporting his Philadelphia 76ers rad red uniform getting ready to pass the rock.
Then Washington Wizards forward Chris Webber is the third card in the set. C-Webb is seen with the ball in the hand in the interesting Bullets alternate uniform. 1997 was the year that team owner Abe Pollin decided on a name change, away from the Bullets to the Wizards, mainly because of the growing gun violence epidemic near the nation’s capital.
The fourth card in the set features The Round Mound of Rebound, Charles Barkley. The image is a set favorite, as Barkley is showing pure passion and elation with both hands balled up in fists, looking high at the sky.
Chicago Bulls rebounding machine Dennis Rodman is the fifth card in the lineup. Rodman averaged 15 rebounds per game in ’97-98. He’s seen in his classic black pinstripe Bulls number 91 uniform, ball in hand seemingly at dead ball or stop in play…or maybe The Worm just decided to take the ball and go home.
The sixth card in the set features Orlando Magic point guard Anfernee Hardaway directing traffic on the front of his card.
A second member of the Washington Wizards and a college teammate of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard is featured with the ball and in his white Bullets uniform on card #7.
Miami Heat point guard Tim Hardaway is the eighth card in the set. The king of the Killer Crossover is seen in his black heat jersey dribbling the rock up court.
Another all- time great point guard is found at card number nine with Seattle Supersonics Gary Payton seemingly figuring out his defensive positioning on this possession, ready to make another defensive stop or steal. Payton, as usual, was named first team All-Defense in ’97-98.
Atlanta Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo is the feature of the card halfway through the set. Mount Mutombo is a perfect fit in this rocky set. Deke is seen with ball, ready to dish it to a teammate. Mutombo was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year that season.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Tom Gugliotta is next up in the set. Googs is seen dribbling the ball on the offensive side of the court, looking for a teammate to pass it to, barbed wire tattoo and all.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett comes right in behind his teammate as the twelfth card in the set. A young KG is featured raising up, ready to release a jumper.
Shaq Diesel is found a card number thirteen. The Laker is big man seems to be trying to communicate to a teammate on the front of his card. Shaq shot nearly 59 percent from the field in the ’97-98 sason.
Houston Rockets hall of fame center Hakeem Olajuwon is next up in the set. ‘The Dream’ is seen positioning himself under the rim for a potential rebound.
Detroit Pistons All Star Grant Hill is the 15th card and the set. He’s seen in his alternate pistons uni getting ready to post up or make a move to the rim.
Utah Jazz Hall of Famer Karl Malone is the 16th card in the lineup. ‘The Mailman’ is shown raising up, ready to release a jump shot for two of his 30,000 plus career points. Malone was named a first team All-Star once again in ’97-98.
Toronto Raptors point guard Damon Stoudemire is next up. He’s seen in his classic Raptors gear, bringing the rock up the court.
Shawn Kemp is the 18th rock star in the set. The Seattle Supersonics forward has secured the rock in both hands making a move near the rim.
Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning is the next to last card in the set. Zo is found holding the rock high above his head on the card front.
The final card in rock stars is Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen. The card front image shows a detailed image of Pippen driving aggressively to the hoop. Pippen, too, was at the end of the line with the Bulls, picking up first team All-Defense honors on the way out.
The base Rock Star cards don’t carry a hefty value, although there is the previously mentioned Refractor parallel inserted one and every 144 series one packs that does carry weight.
Many of the standard Rock Stars cards can be had for a few bucks except, of course, Jordan. Graded copies at the higher end of the scale start at $400 and go up. Jordan refractors in high grade fetch around $1,000 with PSA 10s bringing $4,000 or so. You can check pricing for all 1997-98 Topps Rock Stars on eBay here.
The set is a very sharp one, especially when taking into account that this next level insert set was pulled from packs of base Topps cards and offered finest technology coupled with potential, yet very elusive, Refractor versions. This is a great solid example of some of the better work done in the 1990s insert basketball game.
