Believe it or not, there was a time when rookie basketball cards were about as exciting to your average hobbyist as that checklist they pulled from their last wax pack.
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:
Check back often, too, as these listings are updated on a continual basis.

ANTHONY EDWARDS 2020-21 Panini Contenders Optic PRIZM ON CARD AUTO RC VARIATION
![]() | Watchers: 94 # of Bids: 17Current Bid: $275 Auction Ends: 28-Sep-2023 22:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card RC #57 BCCG 10 MT+ Chicago Bulls
![]() | Watchers: 89 # of Bids: 74Current Bid: $10800 Auction Ends: 27-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
Victor Wembanyama 2023 Allen & Ginter Mini Framed Auto #MA-VW On Card Auto
![]() | Watchers: 84 # of Bids: 12Current Bid: $405 Auction Ends: 30-Sep-2023 21:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
MICHAEL JORDAN 1986/87 FLEER #57 RC ROOKIE CARD CHICAGO BULLS BGS 6 ( 9.5,9,8.5)
![]() | Watchers: 69 # of Bids: 21Current Bid: $2175 Auction Ends: 29-Sep-2023 00:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
MICHAEL JORDAN 1986/87 FLEER #57 RC ROOKIE CARD CHICAGO BULLS PSA 8 NM-MT
![]() | Watchers: 65 # of Bids: 11Current Bid: $3050 Auction Ends: 29-Sep-2023 00:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2020-21 Contenders LaMelo Ball Variation Rookie Ticket On Card Auto RC PSA 10
![]() | Watchers: 64 # of Bids: 39Current Bid: $340 Auction Ends: 26-Sep-2023 00:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
WILT CHAMBERLAIN 1961 FLEER ROOKIE CARD #47 WARRIORS LAKERS - PSA MINSIZERQ
![]() | Watchers: 60 # of Bids: 20Current Bid: $102.5 Auction Ends: 25-Sep-2023 20:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1972 TOPPS #195 JULIUS ERVING ROOKIE CARD PSA AUTO 10 WITH INSCRIPTIONS EX-MT 6
![]() | Watchers: 56 # of Bids: 15Current Bid: $1225 Auction Ends: 27-Sep-2023 17:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor Kareem Abdul Jabbar Rookie Card RC PSA 6
![]() | Watchers: 53 # of Bids: 21Current Bid: $1276 Auction Ends: 02-Oct-2023 01:10 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
LEBRON JAMES PSA 9 MINT HOF LAKERS ROOKIE CARD #221 1ST RC SP 2003 2003-04 TOPPS
![]() | Watchers: 50 # of Bids: 17Current Bid: $315 Auction Ends: 28-Sep-2023 03:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1992 Shaquille O'Neal Classic RC Rookie Auto /2500 On Card DP White Draft Picks
![]() | Watchers: 50 # of Bids: 8Current Bid: $38 Auction Ends: 02-Oct-2023 02:10 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2018-19 Jalen Brunson Donruss Optic Rated Rookie on card Auto Silver Holo
![]() | Watchers: 49 # of Bids: 10Current Bid: $56 Auction Ends: 25-Sep-2023 19:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
PAOLO BANCHERO AUTO RC /25 2022-23 PANINI IMPECCABLE ROOKIE AUTOGRAPHS ON CARD
![]() | Watchers: 48 # of Bids: 22Current Bid: $327 Auction Ends: 27-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
Paolo Banchero 2022-23 Prizm Blue Yellow Green Choice Scope #249 Rookie Card
![]() | Watchers: 47 # of Bids: 10Current Bid: $83 Auction Ends: 25-Sep-2023 23:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1997-98 Bowman's Best Tim Duncan Best Picks Refractor Rookie Card RC #BP8 Spurs
![]() | Watchers: 46 # of Bids: 22Current Bid: $72 Auction Ends: 26-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996-97 KOBE BRYANT TOPPS CHROME #138 ROOKIE CARD LAKERS BECKETT BGS 7 NM
![]() | Watchers: 44 # of Bids: 9Current Bid: $3124 Auction Ends: 29-Sep-2023 21:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
MICHAEL JORDAN 1985 NIKE PROMO ROOKIE CARD RC NEAR MINT PSA 7 CHICAGO BULLS NBA
![]() | Watchers: 40 # of Bids: 8Current Bid: $511 Auction Ends: 28-Sep-2023 12:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2018-19 Prizm Luka Doncic Rookie Card RC #280 Mavericks
![]() | Watchers: 40 # of Bids: 10Current Bid: $52 Auction Ends: 26-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
BILL RUSSELL 1961 FLEER ROOKIE CARD #38 BOSTON CELTICS - PSA MINSIZERQ
![]() | Watchers: 39 # of Bids: 21Current Bid: $152.5 Auction Ends: 25-Sep-2023 20:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1984-85 Star #237 PSA 6 Akeem Olajuwon Hakeem True Rookie Card
![]() | Watchers: 38 # of Bids: 16Current Bid: $224.5 Auction Ends: 28-Sep-2023 03:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996-97 SKYBOX E-X2000 #30 KOBE BRYANT RC RARE LA LAKERS ROOKIE CARD SP PSA 8!
![]() | Watchers: 37 # of Bids: 13Current Bid: $202.5 Auction Ends: 03-Oct-2023 02:10 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
Kobe Bryant 1997 Score Board Authentic Autograph Card - PSA Graded - Rookie RC
![]() | Watchers: 36 # of Bids: 25Current Bid: $130.5 Auction Ends: 28-Sep-2023 01:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE 5,000+ SPORTS CARD COLLECTION VINTAGE ROOKIE AUTO GAME USED JERSEY LOADED
![]() | Watchers: 36 # of Bids: 8Current Bid: $1175 Auction Ends: 28-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2003 Ultra Gold Medallion LeBron James Rookie #171 Card Lucky 13 Die-Cut (RC) SP
![]() | Watchers: 35 # of Bids: 5Current Bid: $32 Auction Ends: 29-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2019-20 JA MORANT RC 1/1 PANINI ORIGINS ON-CARD AUTO #119 ONE OF ONE ROOKIE CARD
![]() | Watchers: 35 # of Bids: 8Current Bid: $801 Auction Ends: 26-Sep-2023 02:09 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
Recent Comments