For a variety of reasons, most of the #1 overall picks in the NBA drafts between 2013 and 2018 are not the signature stars of their rookies classes. Anthony Bennett is simply one of the worst top-of-the-draft misfires in history. Andrew Wiggins, the #1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year in 2014, has underwhelmed. He is now, at best, the fifth-best player from his class, … [Read more...]
Rare, Relevant and… Anonymous?? Michael Jordan’s 1985-86 Star Card
Stop me if you’ve heard this before… The title of “most hilariously stacked basketball set of the twentieth century” comes down to three names: 1961-62 Fleer (Wilt, West, Oscar, Elgin rookies, plus those of seven other Hall of Famers), 1969-70 Topps (99 cards, 15 Hall of Fame RCs, led by Lew Alcindor’s), and 1986-87 Fleer (Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Olajuwon, Isiah, Dominique, … [Read more...]
Topps and the Stock Market – A Closer Look at the Deal
One of the most iconic names in sports cards is returning to the ranks of the publicly traded. Again. Earlier this week, Topps struck a deal with Mudrick Capital (most recently of “meme stock fame”) that will result in the listing of Topps shares on the Nasdaq exchange. It’s a path the Company has trod before. Topps: What’s Old is New Founded in 1938, and incorporated … [Read more...]
Jewels in the Junk – 1990s NBA Sleepers
We’ve written, at some length, about the formative and transformative periods in the history of basketball cards. We all know the drill by now: star-studded 1961-62 Fleer gives way to, well, nothing for the better part of a decade. Topps redefines the hobby, first with its legendary 1969-70 set, then as the only game in town until early 1980s. Topps makes for the exit, again, … [Read more...]
1986-87 Fleer Basketball and “Rightful” Rookie Cards
In terms of the sheer depth and quality of their rookie cards, three basketball card sets forever stand alone. Why “forever”? Because, these days, it's unlikely that all major card manufacturers will simply bail on basketball for several years. The gorgeous 1961-62 Fleer set, for instance, is hilariously stacked, featuring rookie cards of inner-most circle legends Wilt … [Read more...]
No Rookies, No Autos… No Problem! The Future Belongs to Kylian Mbappé
There is a poison chalice that media and fans can’t help but pass to any gifted young star: “The next…” Before Michael Jordan had ever hinted at a desire to try his hand at minor league baseball, NBA observers were foisting the “next Jordan” label onto every ultra-athletic wing that entered the league. The work of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James put the moniker out to pasture, … [Read more...]
Lucky 11 – Lionel Messi’s Rookie Cards
Writing about Lionel Messi is something of an absurdist exercise. He is the most revered and respected player in the world’s most popular sport. His is an ungodly combination of vision and situational awareness, obscene ball control while dribbling, inch-perfect passing, lethal finishing ability and physical toughness. Messi is the platonic ideal of a superstar. (Full … [Read more...]
The Story of the ABA in 9 Rookie Cards
The ABA’s mystique is steeped in the mystery of unseen thrills and unknowable greatness. Happily, those there to witness the feats firsthand are more than happy to tell the tales (Terry Pluto’s Loose Balls is the best trove of these stories). YouTube and various documentarians have also done an admirable job. It’s imperfect, but, we get what we get, right? At the same time, … [Read more...]
An Iconic Meeting: Kobe Bryant and 1996-97 Topps Chrome
There are four sets of basketball cards from the twentieth century that stand above the rest. The first, 1961-62 Fleer, boasts the rookie cards of four of the NBA’s inner-circle greats – Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson – as well as that of fellow Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens. The set also contains the first major, post-rookie issue … [Read more...]