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Topps officially has the NBA card license. Again.
That license had belonged to Panini exclusively since 2010.
This is the second time that Topps has lost — and regained — the right to produce NBA cards. The card manufacturer previously stayed on the sidelines from 1982-92, which is a pretty impactful era in the hobby.
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His Airness, Michael Jordan, made his debut during Topps’ time away from basketball, which is why there is no Jordan Topps RC. MJ’s iconic rookie card came in 1986-87 Fleer.
Other players who debuted during that era? Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwon, Gary Payton to name a few.
When Topps returned to basketball in the early 1990s, it wanted to make up for lost time, and it released 1992-93 Topps Archives “The Rookies” with recreated “missing” rookie cards from the past decade on each year’s baseball design.
The product was released in hobby boxes and a factory set format (the factory set cards feature a gold-stamped logo on the front).
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While the cards aren’t rare or valuable, they offer a meaningful window into what might have been.
If Topps were to do something similar this time around, here are some of the “lost rookie cards” that would need to be included and the possible card designs.
What would a reimagined Topps rookie card of Luka Dončić look like? (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
2010-11
Card design: Bands of color appear near the card edges with a team logo in the corner.
Top rookies: Paul George, Blake Griffin, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Gordon Hayward
2011-12
Card design: While 2011 rookies were held back from cards due to a lockout and included in 2012-13 releases for a double rookie class, let’s consider these rookies appearing on a similar design as Mike Trout’s rookie cards in baseball, with a curved nameplate and team logo in a circular basketball.
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Top rookies: Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Vučević, Kemba Walker, Isaiah Thomas
2012-13
Card design: A simple design with a swooping curve at the bottom of the card with the player’s name and team logo in the corner.
Top rookies: Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Draymond Green, Andre Drummond
2013-14
Card design: The baseball diamond incorporated in 2013 Topps Baseball would have to be replaced by a court and hoop.
Top rookies: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Victor Oladipo
2014-15
Card design: A wave near the bottom of the card allows space for the player name and position, while the team name appears on the side of the card.
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Top rookies: Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Julius Randle
2015-16
Card design: A colorful design featuring gradients and louder borders.
Top rookies: Nikola Jokić, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker
2016-17
Card design: A borderless design with a smoke effect, angled team logo and name plate.
Top rookies: Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam
2017-18
Card design: Another near-full-bleed design that includes a diagonal design that includes the player’s name, team and position and logo at the intersection of the elements.
Top rookies: Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo
2018-19
Card design: The third straight borderless design, this year’s cards feature the team logo tucked behind a wave design that makes way for the nameplate.
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Top rookies: Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Trae Young
2019-20
Card design: A folder-like design stretches along two sides of the card for a clean approach with some subtle touches.
Top rookies: Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Darius Garland
2020-21
Card design: A more borderless look with design elements running up the side of the card.
Top rookies: Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton
2021-22
Card design: White borders return, along with angled bars and a “70” logo in the top corner to signify the 70th anniversary of the company’s first baseball release.
Top rookies: Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes
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2022-23
Card design: White borders and a clean, simple nameplate at the bottom of the card.
Top rookies: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams
2023-24
Card design: The nameplate at the bottom of the card features a headshot, a nod to 1983’s and 2003’s designs, along with a splashy team logo.
Top rookies: Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson
2024-25
Card design: Borders shift from black to white, with a large team name at the top of the card and team logo at the bottom.
Top rookies: Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Stephon Castle
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