If you were to select an all-time NBA All-Star team, you could get into a spirited argument over who belongs, based on impact and on-court heroics.
In the memorabilia market, there’s a little leeway, too, after the first few choices. But over time, collectors cast their votes in terms of demand and prices paid for various players’ items.
As such, we’ve put together a 12-player roster of the hobby’s most collectible pro basketball players ever, with a decided slant toward Hall of Famers. These 12 legends — one still active — make the cut for the uppermost-echelon of NBA hobby heroes. We cast them as a starting five with seven worthy hoop stars right behind them.
STARTING FIVE
Yes, the positions are a formality. Each of these five could play pretty much any position on the court. We saw Magic Johnson fill in at center. Larry Bird was all over the court, doing things we expect out of both small and power forwards, shooting guards, and even point guards. You could say the same for Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Then there’s Bill Russell, who would double up as our coach, given his success as both player/coach and head coach.
And for collectors, positions in basketball don’t matter like they do in, say, football, where the quarterback is king. Even so, we play it straight with our starting unit. Besides, it works out perfectly.
SHOOTING GUARD: MICHAEL JORDAN
Career Stats
15 Seasons: 30.1 Pts | 6.2 Reb | 5.3 A
No explanation needed. MJ had an explosive presence on the court, as reflected by his stats and individual honors: a Rookie of the Year award; 10 scoring titles; 14 All-Star selections; and five MVP awards. Then there are those six NBA championships.
Jordan’s true rookie card is #157 in Fleer’s 1986-87 set. He did appear in a limited set issued by Star in 1984, but his Fleer rookie was his first nationally distributed card. And what an iconic card it is! The photo — not as technically perfect as we’ve become accustomed to — captures Air Jordan doing as his nickname describes: skying above the competition, tongue out, ready to hammer down a crazy dunk.
When the hobby was bubbling over in 2021, Jordan Fleer
