The Bulleit Collective - Michael Jordan

At the game of basketball, there has been no one better at the game, and while we sit and try to compare players to Jordan, there was really nothing to compare. Jordan has been head and shoulders above all. No one won titles like Jordan. “Air Jordan” was the best player on the floor at all times (something we couldn’t say for LeBron in 2011, something we couldn’t say for Magic or Kareem during various Lakers runs either), and was the reason his team won the NBA Finals 6 times in 6 tries.

10 scoring titles, with 7 in succession and another 3 in succession after he came back from retirement is unreal. A champion. A MVP. A Finals MVP. Undefeated in the Finals. An elite point guard when he was asked to play the position. A 10-time scoring champion. Possibly the greatest two-way player ever. Simply put, Jordan was everything you want in a player and then some. His accolades speak for themselves, and he is the greatest to ever do it. It’s as simple as that.

The 1994-95 Topps Finest basketball set is the sophomore installment of the premium NBA card brand. Boasting popular Refractors, a solid rookie crop, and several inserts, the chromium set remains a solid seller with collectors today. Highlights include Michael Jordan along with rookie cards for Grant Hill and Jason Kidd.

Split between two series, 1994-95 Topps Finest Basketball has 331 cards. The first has 165 cards. The second has the remaining 166 cards. Of the two, Series 2 is much stronger. It has the rookie cards of Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Eddie Jones, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard and more. Michael Jordan is also in the second series. A silver border gives way to an aqua-colored backdrop that has colorful comets shooting forward. The Topps Finest logo takes up the majority of the nameplate at the bottom of the card. The player's name is in small block letters at the very bottom.

Having played only 22 games in the #45 jersey, this particular card was an early-release for the “45” era. At the time of Michael Jordan’s first “comeback,” these came to shelves in a seemingly-rushed release history. On March 19th, 1995, Michael Jordan set the sports world on fire with just two words: "I'm back." This was the start of MJ's first return from retirement, following a break from the game he had so famously dominated.

This 1998 Topps Gold Label depicts Michel Jordan Insert #1. This card also includes the coveted “black label” designation. The black label version is far more rare than the easily-found gold label.

Jordan capped off his fifth MVP season in 1997-98 by winning his record sixth Finals MVP. Jordan had one of the most dominant seasons on the books in 1997-98, he captured the MVP, the All-Star Game MVP, and the Finals MVP, and led the league in scoring in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Though Jordan's baseball debut wouldn't come about until 1994, Upper Deck did manage to work him into their 1991 set as a short print chase card. Collectors were quite shocked that year to see this card featuring Jordan in a White Sox uniform taking batting practice at Wrigley Field before the annual "Windy City Classic" charity game between the Cubs and White Sox in 1990. Little did we know that Jordan would not only suit up for that charity game a few years later on April 7, 1994 but he collected a pair of base hits and knocked in two runs. It continues to be one of his most popular baseball cards. Jordan stepped away from basketball, and opted to try something new -baseball. MJ played baseball up until high school, and he wanted to return to his roots for his father. The Chicago White Sox signed him and the rest became history. The experiment lasted just one year but it was a memorable one for those who witnessed it and followed it.

It became a big deal in the card world as well. All of a sudden there was a fresh spin on Michael Jordan cards with plenty of opportunities. Upper Deck, in particular, took advantage, using Jordan as an anchor for many of their 1994 baseball products. But the history of Michael Jordan baseball cards goes back even further. The 1991 Upper Deck Michael Jordan #SP1 was one of the most coveted cards of the hobby’s peak. Showcasing Jordan taking batting practice at Comiskey, it’s one of the early mainstream chase cards. For those who bought one or two packs at a time, it did seem like a tough card at the time. Still, there’s a lot of nostalgia and novelty surrounding the 1991 Upper Deck Michael Jordan #SP1 today. It might not sell for anywhere close to the amounts it used to, but it’s still one of the most memorable cards from the hobby’s biggest era. The set marked the third year Upper Deck issued a 800-card standard-size set in two separate series of 700 and 100 cards respectively. Cards were distributed in low and high series foil packs and factory sets. Rookie Cards in this set include Jeff Bagwell, Luis Gonzalez, Chipper Jones, Eric Karros, and Mike Mussina. A special Michael Jordan card (numbered SP1) was randomly included in packs on a somewhat limited basis. The Hank Aaron hologram card was randomly inserted in the 1991 Upper Deck high number foil packs.

Arguably Jordan's most recognizable rookie baseball card, the 1994 Upper Deck #19 shows him chasing down a fly ball in his White Sox uniform. Of the handful of Michael Jordan baseball cards to carry the RC tag, the one found in 1994 Upper Deck is probably the most recognized. Emblazoned with a massive Star Rookie banner running down the side, the foil front helps it stand out even further from the regular base cards in the set.

Distributed as Series One (#1-200) and Series Two (#201-400), the 1996 Collector’s Choice basketball set also included an update set #401-430 which was distributed via redemption exchange. The card #363 features Joe Dumars and “Assignment: Jordan.”

The two would face each other a total of 70 times in NBA games. Jordan had a 37-33 winning record over Dumars, but Joe Dumars won more matchups in the Playoffs for a 12-10 postseason record. It has been noted that both had a healthy rivalry but also great mutual respect for one another. Jordan considered Dumars one of the toughest defenders he ever played against. Dumars played 14 seasons for the Pistons, averaging 16.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Jordan would 15 seasons for the Bulls and Wizards, averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.

This 100-card set was issued in complete box set form, with a limited box run of 30,000 serially numbered boxes. This is one of the few cards from the set that capture Jordan in his #45 jersey compared to the more familiar #23. Before Kobe Bryant switched to No. 24 or LeBron to No. 6, Michael Jordan briefly left his famous No. 23 jersey behind for the No. 45 when he returned to the NBA in March of 1995. With the frequency of player movement, fans have grown accustomed to seeing the league’s biggest stars change numbers at some point in their career. Seeing Jordan in anything but #23 remains somewhat jarring, though. The Hall of Famer stepped away from the game for the first time in 1993 to try MLB, after the Chicago Bulls captured their 3rd straight NBA championship. The Bulls naturally raised his No. 23 to the United Center rafters in November 1994, which coincided with the unveiling of his statue outside the arena as well.

With his transition to the diamond, MJ donned the No. 45, his number as a high school baseball player at Laney High, while playing for the Double-A Birmingham Barons. The five-time MBP made his 1st appearance back in the NBA on March 19th, 1995.. bringing 45 with him to Chicago. He has since explained his reasoning that it was tied to his father’s murder in July of 1993. Although Jordan saw his return as a new beginning, he would revert to #23 after only a few short games and thus jersey No. 45 memorabilia will always hold historical value.

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