This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/2/2021
The groundbreaking three-panel design of the 1980-81 Topps basketball series was not well-received at the time, confusing collectors as to whether they were supposed to seperate the panels into small cards or leave it intact as a single card. It turns out that the latter was the way to go and many collectors were left with a handful of tiny little cards and a whole lot of regret. Topps went back to their traditional format the next year, but in retrospect, what some may have called a mistake has turned into one of the most significant events from the hardcourt as super rookies Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were paired with Hall of Fame legend Julius Erving to create a super-rookie card that stands as one of the biggest prizes in the entire field of basketball cards. Where else can you find a card of two of the greatest players in history on their debut pasteboard, along with a third legend that, together, account for close to 70,000 lifetime points scored and 40 all-star game appearances! With the 1948 Bowman George Mikan and 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie cards, as well as a whole host of rare autographed and serially-numbered, insert debut cards of LeBron, Kobe, Giannis, and others grabbing most of the fanfare, it's about time for collectors to rediscover this gem. This PSA 9 example offers corners and edges that each approach GEM MINT and a brilliant white surface that showcases the various deep pigments. Noticeably minimized if not completely eliminated are the smattering of stray print dots that prevent most from reaching this level of excellence. The centering is outstanding as well, and the reverse offers an eye-pleasing black, blue and white surface filled with impressive debut statistics. A fantastic MINT specimen that is a necessity for any advanced basketball card collection.