When Larry Bird basketball cards first saw the light of day, the hobby (and the world!) was a very different place than it is today.

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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1980 Topps Larry Bird Magic Johnson RC Julius Irving Rookie Card PSA 7 Near Mint

Watchers: 90  
# of Bids: 31
Current Bid: $1059
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 03:04
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BECKETT 1980-81 TOPPS 34 LARRY BIRD SIGNED MINI ROOKIE CARD CELTICS AUTOGRAPH RC

Watchers: 49  
# of Bids: 35
Current Bid: $209.5
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 22:04
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1989 Converse Basketball LARRY BIRD #33 Card ***PSA 10 GEM MINT***

Watchers: 40  
# of Bids: 20
Current Bid: $53
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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Larry Bird Trading Card PSA/DNA Certified Authentic AUTO PSA 10 - BEx-100

Watchers: 36  
# of Bids: 31
Current Bid: $81
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 02:04
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2013-14 PRIZM KOBE BRYANT LIGHT BLUE DOMINANCE REFRACTOR INSERT CARD #/199!

Watchers: 34  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $202.5
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 19:04
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Lot of (46) 1987-88 Fleer Stickers Vintage Basketball Cards ALL Mint to Gem Mint

Watchers: 29  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $45
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 04:04
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1980 Topps Larry Bird Rebounding Leader Rookie Card PSA 7!

Watchers: 27  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $44
Auction Ends: 01-Apr-2023 20:04
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1989 Kenner Starting Lineup One On One HOF Lot (6 Cards: Bird McHale Ewing)

Watchers: 26  
# of Bids: 9
Current Bid: $8.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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1980-81 Topps Larry Bird Magic Johnson Julius Erving Rookie Card RC #6 BGS 7.5

Watchers: 26  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $730
Auction Ends: 05-Apr-2023 01:04
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1990 Fleer Larry Bird Boston Celtics #8 Basketball Card PSA 10 GEM MINT

Watchers: 23  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $55
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 02:04
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2021 Origins Legendary Auto Larry Bird On Card HOF Boston Celtics

Watchers: 22  
# of Bids: 4
Current Bid: $137.5
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 23:04
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1991 Skybox USA Basketball Team Card Michael Jordan Larry Bird PSA 9

Watchers: 21  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $12.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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2015-16 Panini Totally Certified Larry Bird Auto On Card 13/25 1 Day Auction

Watchers: 21  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $76
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 01:04
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1981-82 Topps LARRY BIRD #4 *Celtics* 1st Solo Card 1981 Topps Larry Bird NICE

Watchers: 20  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $15.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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Graded Card Storage Box Case PSA BGS Pokemon Sports Trading Cards Sealed + LOCK

Watchers: 20  
# of Bids: 16
Current Bid: $18.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 02:04
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2001 Larry Bird Indiana State Sycamores Authentic Game Worn Jersey Card HOF 

Watchers: 20  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $9.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 04:04
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2000 SP Game Floor Kobe Bryant Larry Bird Authentic Card Combos Gold #15/100

Watchers: 20  
# of Bids: 33
Current Bid: $276
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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1991 Kenner Starting Lineup Lot (14 Cards: Johnson Barkley Ewing Bird Robinson)

Watchers: 19  
# of Bids: 5
Current Bid: $7.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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Larry Bird Trading Card PSA/DNA Certified Authentic AUTO - B15-1409

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 5
Current Bid: $32
Auction Ends: 05-Apr-2023 03:04
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1988-89 Kenner Starting Lineup CELTICS Lot (5 Cards: Bird Parish McHale Ainge)

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 9
Current Bid: $15.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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1991-1992 NBA Hoops Series 2 Basketball Cards Factory Sealed Box

Watchers: 17  
# of Bids: 6
Current Bid: $11
Auction Ends: 07-Apr-2023 17:04
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1990 Panini Sticker Card Michael Jordan Larry Bird Dual Panel PSA 9 Mint NBA HOF

Watchers: 17  
# of Bids: 8
Current Bid: $7.5
Auction Ends: 04-Apr-2023 02:04
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1990 Kenner Starting Lineup Lot (32 Cards: Johnson Barkley Ewing Bird Malone)

Watchers: 17  
# of Bids: 13
Current Bid: $14.5
Auction Ends: 03-Apr-2023 01:04
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x/50+ Basketball Card Estate Michael Jordan Facs Auto Jerry West Topps 23 rookie

Watchers: 15  
# of Bids: 4
Current Bid: $10.5
Auction Ends: 01-Apr-2023 21:04
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1985 Prism Jewel Trading Card Sticker Basketball #3 Larry Bird VS James Worthy

Watchers: 15  
# of Bids: 12
Current Bid: $53
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 22:04
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)