They represent multiple eras but there’s a definite 1970s vibe to the 2019 Basketball Hall of Fame Class. Here’s a look at the rookie cards of the inductees who have them.
Carl Braun
Braun played in the NBA for 13 years, joining the New York Knicks just as the league was getting off the ground and leading them in scoring for seven straight seasons. He graduated from Colgate and spent 13 years in pro basketball, earning all-star honors five times (1953-57) and winning a title late in his career with the Boston Celtics. Braun’s rookie card is #72–the last card in the 1948 Bowman basketball set.
- Carl Braun rookie cards on eBay
Al Attles
Braun was the final card in Bowman’s first and only basketball card set; Attles was the first card in Fleer’s inaugural 1961-62 issue. As such, it’s very condition-sensitive.
Elected as a “Contributor”, Attles joined the Warriors in 1960, spent the decade as a player, then transitioned into coaching and executive roles. He’s one of five Warriors to have his number retired.
Paul Westphal
An All-American college star at USC, Westphal went on to be a five-time NBA All-Star (1977-81) and a three-time All-NBA First Team member (1977, 1979, 1980). In his 12 NBA seasons, he averaged 15.6 points and 4.4 assists per game, including over 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons.
Westphal won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics during his rookie season and his 1973-74 Topps rookie card should garner a little more respect now that he’s about to enter the Springfield shrine.
Bobby Jones
Jones joined the ABA out of North Carolina and made an immediate impact. His rookie card is in the mammoth 1975-76 Topps set, when he was still a member of the ABA’s Denver Nuggets.
After the merger, he became an eight-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member (1977-84) and NBA Champion with the Philadelphia 76ers (1983). He is also a four-time NBA All-Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982) and the recipient of the 1983 NBA Sixth Man Award.
Jack Sikma
A small college sensation at Illinois Wesleyan, Sikma was a seven-time NBA All-Star (1979-85) and won a championship as a young player with the Seattle SuperSonics (1979), the year his rookie card arrived. Graded, mint examples can be surprisingly pricey.
He’s the only center in NBA history to lead the league in single-season free throw percentage at .922 (1987-88). Sikma also spent several seasons as one of the key players on the outstanding Milwaukee Bucks teams of the mid-to-late 1980s.
Sidney Moncrief
The 1980-81 set is all about the Bird/Magic rookie card but the set gets another boost with Sir Sid’s election. He’s on two different trio panels in the quirky set as card #151.
An All-American at Arkansas, Moncrief is a five-time NBA All-Star (1982-1986) and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1983,1984). He earned NBA All-Defensive Team honors four times (1983-1986) and All-NBA First Team in 1983.
Vlade Divac
A native of Yugoslavia, Divac was elected by the Hall’s International Committee. His rookie cards appear in the 1990-91 Fleer (#91), Hoops (#154) and Skybox (#135) sets. Interestingly, his Skybox rookie shows him going to the basket against Sikma.
He joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1989 and played in the NBA until 2004. He recorded over 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocked shots. Divac was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1990. He also made a big impact in international competition, earning two Olympic silver medals.
Theresa Weatherspoon
A star at Louisiana Tech who went on to have a long career in international basketball and the WNBA, Weatherspoon was elected by the Women’s Committee. Her rookie card is recognized as the 1997 Pinnacle Inside issue.
Weatherspoon was a five-time WNBA All-Star (1999-2003) and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1997, 1998). Recognized as an iconic player with the New York Liberty, she was the first player to tally 1,000 points and 1,000 assists in the WNBA.
Chuck Cooper, the first African-American to be drafted by an NBA team, was elected by the Early African-American Pioneers committee, joined the league in the early 1950s, when there were no basketball cards issued.
The Class of 2019 will be enshrined on Friday, September 6 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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