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Back when Shaq debuted with the Orlando Magic in 1992, basketball cards were really starting to heat up, thanks to the heroics of Michael Jordan and other 1980s and early 1990s legends. And also thanks to the explosion of the sports card hobby at large — as baseball prices and production levels continued to climb, they pulled football along with them, and then basketball (and later, hockey).

But the hallmark of just about every aspect of the hobby in those days was excess.

Too many brands, too many sets of each brand, too many permutations of each card, too many copies of each permutation to even keep track of!

And, so, when you undertake an endeavor like, say, tracking down the specifics of Shaq rookie cards, you run into the same problem — too much of everything!

Heck, by count of PSA’s Shaq master set checklist, there were something like 75 different O’Neal cards issued during his rookie season in 1992-93.

Spoiler alert — we’re not going to run through 75 different Shaq cards below. But, really, we don’t have to in order to cover the bases (sorry for the mixed-sports metaphor).

Instead, we’ll take a look at every base Shaq card issued in 1992 and featuring him as a member of the Magic, his first NBA team. In other words, these are Shaq’s true rookie cards — no inserts, no parallels, no box-set cards, no Draft Pick cards that show him in his college (LSU) uniform.

Just full-blown, first-year Shaq-in-the-NBA basketball cards.

Here, then is the full scoop on the seven true Shaquille O’Neal rookie cards, with values shown culled from recent (as of October 2022) sales for copies in PSA 9 condition.

Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.

1992 Fleer Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#401)

Fleer cracked the seal on the basketball card market with their landmark set in 1986 that famously featured *the* Michael Jordan rookie card as well as RCs of other 1980s and 1990s luminaries like Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, and others.

Fast forward six years, and Fleer was still at it, helping to forge the Junk Wax market by dumping metric tons of product on the hobby each year. Among their large-charge output for 1992 was this rookie card of the large charge himself, Shaquille O’Neal.

This base card was joined by a Slam Dunk number later in the set – neither one sets the world on fire in terms of value these days, but they’re still early Shaq cards with plenty of fans.

Value: $15-20

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1992 Hoops Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#442)

It was pretty much the same story for Hoops as it was for Fleer, except Hoops didn’t debut until 1989 and they never really produced any cards that number among the super valuable today. The David Robinson rookie card from that first (1989) Hoops set did become sort of an icon, though, appearing in ads all through the early 1990s.

In 1992, it was Shaq’s turn to carry the torch as Hoops’ big (pun intended) rookie, and the card delivers with an in-your-face shot of Shaq getting ready to plow through a defender on his way to the rim.

Value: $10-20

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1992 Skybox Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#382)

After a debut set in 1990 that was as gaudy as the era it represented, SkyBox cleaned things up just a tad for their 1992 issue – whereas SkyBox gave us art-deco-on-acid backgrounds in 1990, they toned it down to some gaudy graphics and fonts, along with a big swath of color, the next time around.

Here we see Shaq on his borderless rookie card doing what he did best in those days – hanging off the rim while a bunch of defenders looked on.

Value: $15-20

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1992 Stadium Club Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#247)

If you liked the 1992 Stadium Club design that Topps rolled out for their baseball set that summer, then you were in luck when it came time for them to fire up the gridiron and hardwood machines that fall.

The ice machine, too, for that matter.

Taking a page from Upper Deck’s recipe for success, Topps standardized across all four sports, settling on a full-bleed photo with some understated (by the standards of the day, at least) design elements at the bottom of the card.

On his own SC rookie card, Shaq seems to be struggling with the rock as he elevates to the basket, but you know this play probably ended up like all the rest – with a distressed backboard.

Value: $15-25

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1992 Topps Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#362)

Same deal for the base Topps sets in 1992 – if you liked the design, you were treated to four doses of it, across baseball, football, basketball, and hockey.

If you didn’t like the design? Well, there were plenty of other options on the market, and there was always another batch of new cards just around the corner.

O’Neal’s Topps rookie card gives us a different look at the young center, waiting in the post and letting his teammates know he’s open and ready to unleash another slam dunk. This is one of the few early Shaq cards that shows him without the ball.

Value: $30-40

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1992 Ultra Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#328)

Ultra was Fleer’s entry into the super-premium card sweepstakes, and it showcased the same sorts of traits as all the others in that class – thick cardstock, glossy finish, full-bleed vibrant photos, foil accents, colorful card backs.

The set would have been a revelation had it been the only one of its kind. As things stood, it sort of got lost in the crowd and its own avalanche of overproduction.

Even so, Shaq’s Ultra rookie card features a classic shot of big man taking HIS one-handed shot over a defender.

Value: $15-20

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1992 Upper Deck Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card (#1)

If there’s one standout among base Shaquille O’Neal rookie cards, one that’s captured the imagination of collectors and the market over the years, it’s this triple-exposure Upper Deck number.

Showcasing Shaq’s power move to the basket from eyes-up dribble to home-run stuff, this striking card sets the young phenom against a night-black background. It was a dramatic tableau in which to present one of the game’s most exciting talents.

Value: $45-50

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From the moment the Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe with the 13th pick in the June 1996 NBA Draft — and, really, even before — as a high schooler, Kobe had high expectations heaped on him.

Those pressures exploded less than a month later when the Hornets traded Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.

And, just like that, the Lakers had their new face of the franchise, the “kid” who was going to lead them back to the top of the NBA heap.

Not only that, but young Kobe was being hailed as the “Next Michael Jordan,” an impossible yoke to bear that he nevertheless handled with great aplomb while doing little to dispel the idea with his play on the court — increased minutes and scoring averages over his first several seasons, and an NBA title after his third.

From there, it was just up, up, up, with two scoring titles and four more championships to accompany his 18 All-Star and 15 All-NBA selections.

And, sure, there were controversies and even criminal problems along the way, from Kobe’s not-so-friendly banter with teammate Shaquille O’Neal to his much publicized sexual assault incident in a Colorado hotel room.

Through it all, though, Kobe continued his march toward the Hall of Fame and managed to carve out his own unique spotlight in the sport, separate and different from Jordan’s, O’Neal’s, LeBron James’, and everyone else’s.

Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season as a lifetime Laker (draft notwithstanding), which of course helped to elevate his profile in the game and hobby even further.

Collectors sure took note, and we made his first cards in the 1996-97 sets like Topps, Bowman, Flair, and Upper Deck among the hottest of all hoops cards right from the tip, and, just like the man himself, we — and his cards — never looked back.

Today, Kobe Bryant rookies remain among the hottest of all basketball cards, and you can get an eyeful anytime you want to over on eBay.

To help whet your appetite for that show, then, here are the hottest, most watched Kobe Bryant rookie cards on eBay right now. It’s a fun list to watch, and updated every few minutes … so check back often!

(NOTE: The section below contains affiliate links to eBay listings for the card shown.)

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Indeed, back in the 1980s, during the original hobby boom, it was tough for even the hottest of basketball players to make much noise in a market dominated by baseball cards. Heck, even football was a distant, distant second to the diamond when it came to capturing collector hearts … and dollars.

It took a good long while, and some of the most exciting stars in NBA history, but the tide slowly began to turn.

A large part of the credit for that has to go to Michael Jordan (who else?), whose first Threepeat with the Chicago Bulls elevated him to basketball legend status. Even then, though, Jordan’s 1986-87 Fleer rookie card didn’t sell for much more than the RCs of the latest baseball phenom.

Upper Deck issued a baseball card of Jordan in 1991, though, and it instantly became a hobby favorite and began to shine light on other hoops cards.

When Jordan retired from baseball in the mid-1990s and headed to the diamond, his star — and his basketball cards — rose even further.

By the time Air Jordan returned to the court a year later, Shaquille O’Neal and other young stars were really starting to light up the hobby with their own rookie cards.

The 25+ years since have seen hoops continued to eat into baseball’s hobby market share, with huge names like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and many others flooding the buckets with their shots and the market with their rookie cards.

Today, you can pretty much count on every basketball product yielding a crop of new rookie cards that continue to drive the market forward.

And you can find nearly all of those cards for sale through various online venues … but, of course, there’s still one leading marketplace when it comes to where collectors turn to find our next cardboard conquests.

Yeah, it’s eBay, no doubt.

And, as you can see from the 25 most watched rookie basketball cards on eBay right now (down below), the hoops market shows no signs of slowing down. For further proof, check out these other basketball cards setting fire to the market:

• Larry Bird Basketball Cards – Most Watched on eBay!
• Kobe Bryant Rookie Cards on eBay — Most Watched!

Check back often, too, as these listings are updated on a continual basis.

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After all, in the fall and winter of 1980-81, when Bird’s rookie card(s) was first popping out of wax packs, baseball cards ruled the roost completely, with football a distant second in the fight for collector hearts … and dollars.

Basketball? If it weren’t for the safety net provided by hockey cards (non-Wayne Gretzky division), hoops cards would have been hobby cellar-dwellers.

But the times, they were a’changin’!

For one thing, Topps would be joined by Fleer and Donruss in the spring of 1981, casting a new light on the hobby overall and starting to heat things up.

For another, the baseball strike in the summer of 1981 dented the Grand Old Game’s reputation and gave the other sports a chance to get a stronger toehold.

And, for another another, Bird and college rival Magic Johnson had brought their blood battles to the NBA, trading Indiana State and Michigan State, respectively, for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

It was ready-made drama as the young bucks sought to bring those storied franchises back to the center of the hoops world, especially if it meant clawing over each other to get there. And, boy, did they succeed!

From their first season in the league, 1979-80, through Bird’s retirement in 1992, Magic and Larry met in the NBA Finals three times, with the Lakers taking two titles and the Celtics, one.

Beyond that, though, L.A. made the Finals nine times those seasons, winning five titles.

Bird’s Celtics, meantime, made it to the last series of the season five times, copping three championships along the way.

Not surprisingly, the Bird-Magic rivalry captivated fans and collectors alike and helped pave the way for the high-octane era of NBA basketball heralded by the arrival of Michael Jordan in 1984.

And, even when Bird hung up his sneakers after the 1991-92 season, he still had something left in the tank, and in store for fans — namely, Kodak played a key role on the 1992 USA Olympic Dream Team that rolled to a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics.

That team — and Bird — appeared on everything from magazine covers to medallions to cereal boxes … to, of course, basketball cards.

And, today, Larry Bird basketball cards rightly sit among the hobby royalty, and continue to draw plenty of collector interest, as evidenced by the below list of the most-watched Larry Legend cards on eBay right now (and check back often, as these listings are updated continuously).

(NOTE: The section below contains affiliate links to eBay listings for the card shown.)

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The truth is, though, the story of how a pair of brothers running a newspaper distribution office in Italy in 1960 eventually built the most prominent player in the hoops card market is a long and winding one, spanning decades — and continents!

And, even if Fanatics’ exclusive deal to make NBA cards brings this particular hardwood tale to a close, Panini’s influence in the industry will be felt for years to come.

Here, then, is a brief timeline of the events that led to the advent of Panini basketball cards and the general explosion of the hoops market in the 2010s … and beyond!

Timeline of Panini Basketball Cards

1960 – Benito and Giuseppe Panini redistribute soccer stickers that were made by a company in Milan, who were unable to find a market on their own. The Paninis, however, sold more than six million stickers.

1961 – Giuseppe founds Panini as a separate company to manufacture and distribute their own stickers.

1970 – Panini publishes their first Illustrated Guide to Italian Football, and also begins making trading cards and sticker albums for the FIFA World Cup, held in Mexico.

1981 – Panini manufacturers (in Italy) stickers and sticker albums featuring Major League Baseball players, to be distributed in the United States by Topps. Thanks to Topps’ licenses, Panini’s stickers feature MLB logos and a full complement of players. That fall, Topps and Panini also teamed up on a set of NFL stickers featuring pro American football players.

1981 – On their own, Panini issued a set of “Sport Superstars,” featuring top athletes from a variety of sports, including tennis, boxing, and international basketball leagues.

1987 – Panini features NBA players (including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan) in their Spanish sports set.

1988 – After producing baseball and (American) football stickers for Topps for seven years in a row, Panini branches out out on their own, issuing baseball and football stickers under their label for the first time.

1988-89 – Panini makes their first standalone NBA sticker album and set.

January 2009 – Panini wins the exclusive contract to produce NBA basketball cards for the 2009-10 season. They will go on to hold those exclusive rights for nearly two decades.

March 2009 – Panini acquires Donruss Playoff LP, including the card-maker’s NFL and NFLPA licenses. They go on to produce several lines of football cards.

March 2009 – In conjunction with the Donruss acquisition, Panini Group becomes Panini America.

2010 – Panini lands NHL and NHLPA contracts and immediately joins Upper Deck in the hockey card market.

2014 – Panini lands a license with MLBPA to make cards picturing current major league players. They resurrect the Donruss brand of baseball cards, but with no MLB license, Panini is forced to remove all team logos from their images.

2014 – At the conclusion of the 2013-14 NHL season, Panini loses their NHL and NHLPA licenses, leaving Upper Deck as the sole maker of hockey cards.

August 2021 – After 12 years as the exclusive manufacturer of NBA basketball cards, Panini — like Topps in baseball and football — is blindsided by the announcement that Fanatics had gained the exclusive right to produce hoops cards beginning in 2026.

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And that brings us to the present.

What happens next is still up in the air …

Will Panini basketball become just a hunk of cardboard on the scrapheap of hobby history?

Or, will Fanatics buy the brand and continue their NBA tradition, just like the upstart has done with Topps and baseball (and, presumably, football).

Time will tell, of course, but one thing’s for sure — Panini basketball cards were the only game in town for more than a decade at a time that saw unprecedented growth in the hobby.

And you just can’t brush that away.

And, while the top-selling hoops cards might not rival the most expensive baseball cards and the most expensive football cards on a week-to-week basis, there is no shortage of cash changing hands for top-notch basketball cardboard.

What follows, then, is a list of the top 100 most expensive basketball cards sold on eBay over the last 30 days. This list is updated regularly, so come back often to see a rolling tally of mind-blowing b-ball cards as they blow through the market and set new records.

(Note: The listings below contain affiliate links to the sold eBay lots.)

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The Indiana Pacers were one of the standout franchises in the old ABA from the very beginning, winning one title and playing for another in the league’s first four years, reaching the playoffs each season. But you could make an argument that the Pacers didn’t really arrive as an attraction until George McGinnis landed (back) in Indianapolis in 1971. Now, after a loooonnggggg wait, one of the Blue and Gold’s first superstars is headed for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Local Talent

McGinnis was born and raised in Indianapolis and was already a local legend by the time he was a teenager. He starred in basketball at George Washington High School (from which my own father graduated in 1965) and led the Continentals to a state title as a senior in 1969, the same year he was named Indiana Mr. Basketball.

From there, it was on to Indiana University, where he played one season and averaged 30 points per game.

Then, in 1971, the Pacers brought him home to Indy, where McGinnis stepped into the role of swingman and averaged 16.9 points during his rookie season, good for third on the team. Thanks in large part to their new athletic forward, the Pacers took home the ABA crown.

The next year,  1972-73, McGinnis upped his game to lead all Pacers with 27.6 ppg, and the team copped their second title in a row.

In 1973-74, the Pacers lost to the Utah Stars in the Western Division finals, but McGinnis once again led the team in scoring, with 25.6 points per game.

McGinnis was at the top of his game in 1974-75, leading the team and the entire league with 29.8 points per game. The Pacers gave it a good ride in the playoffs, too, but came up one game short, losing the title to the Kentucky Colonels.

Moving On

McGinnis had been drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973 but remained with the champion Pacers. After two straight disappointing playoff outcomes, though, he finally jumped to Philly and the “Big Brother” NBA.

The big man hardly missed a beat, averaging more than 20 points in each of his three seasons with Philadelphia and one full season in Denver. Struggling to keep his playing time and points at the high level to which he was accustomed, McGinnis was traded back home to the Pacers during the 1979-80 season.

He turned in two more declining campaigns with the now-NBA Pacers, wrapping up his career at age 31 in 1982.

Lost in the Shuffle

If you look at the careers that have the same basic “shape” as George McGinnis’s, you’ll find names like Ben Wallace, Chris Webber, and Lou Hudson.

Solid players all, but not overwhelming by any means.

Couple that grouping with McGinnis’s relatively short career and the fact that he fizzled out just as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were heating up — and just before Michael Jordan lifted the entire game — and it’s easy to see why McGinnis has languished outside of the Hall of Fame for so long.

But make no mistake — the man is a basketball legend and was a vital part of one of the great ABA franchises that would go on to become a solid, sometimes outstanding, club in the NBA.

Hall of Fame Cardboard

As you would expect for THE marquee name on a championship team, McGinnis was featured on a full complement of basketball cards during the 1970s.

Of these, his 1972-73 Topps rookie card is undoubtedly the key, even though you can find nice graded copies on eBay today for well under $50.

Most of his other pasteboards can be had for a relative song — from less than a buck for most specimens to reasonable two figures for high-grade copies.

All in all, quite a bargain for 40-year-old cardboard of a Hoosier legend, one who is finally getting his due.

George McGinnis, Hall of Famer. Sounds good, doesn’t it?