1994-1999 Second Dynasty
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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.
Now we know where modern-day Panini's “Splash” cards came from. This is much better than the splash though, in my opinion... but it’s hard to capture in a picture- the front is foil with a lot of depth. There is always a lot of talk about 90s designs being better than today (which I agree), but I also have to say so much thought goes into the selection of photos as well.
In 1995, Michael Jordan announced his return to the NBA after a 17-month retirement, sending a two-word fax stating, "I'm back". He played his first game back for the Chicago Bulls on March 19 against the Indiana Pacers, wearing the number 45 because 23 had been retired. Though he returned late in the 1994-95 season, he had a strong impact, helping the Bulls secure a playoff spot before they were eliminated in six games.
Randomly inserted in series one packs at a rate of one in eight, this set features color photos of 30 players. Each card features three different players from the same team on special die-cut designs that are combined into one over-sized card. Each card is numbered with a "FB" prefix.
In 1996, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their fourth NBA championship, earning his fourth Finals MVP award. This was a significant year as it was the first championship since his father's death in 1993, and he also won the NBA's regular season MVP award, becoming the first player to win both MVP awards in the same year. The Bulls also set a new record with a 72-10 regular season record.
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.
While the “top trending” card in 1996 Skybox Premium may be the Kobe, rookie, #203, Jordan would average 29.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 82 games in 1996-97. He was selected to play in his eleventh All-Star game. He won his fifth Finals MVP award and his fifth NBA championship.
The 1996 Skybox Premium basketball set featured a 281-base card checklist, split into two series (Series 1: 1-131 and Series 2: 132-281), alongside popular inserts like Triple Treats, Golden Touch, Autographics and Meltdown. Key rookies like Steve Nash and Allen Iverson, could be pulled beside stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan, making for a sought-after collection of basketball cards.
In 1997, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their fifth championship, famously overcoming illness (likely food poisoning) in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz to deliver his iconic "Flu Game," scoring 38 points, including a crucial three-pointer, to secure a pivotal win. He wore the Air Jordan XIIs throughout the playoffs and earned another NBA Finals MVP award, solidifying his legendary status with incredible skill and resilience during the Bulls' second three-peat run.
1996-97 Topps Finest Basketball was highlighted by an extremely strong rookie class. While it's relatively free of inserts, the set isn't as straightforward as it seemed. A three-tiered base set made it extremely challenging to complete. 1996-97 Topps Finest Basketball came in two series. The first had cards #1 to #146 and the second series ran from #147 to #291. Both sets have bronze, silver and gold cards. These aren't parallels. Rather, they're short prints, some of which are rarer than others. When the set came out, collectible card games, like Magic the Gathering, were really starting to take off. Several sports cards sets took a similar approach to releasing common, uncommon and rare cards. For 1996-97 Topps Finest Basketball, bronze cards are considered common. Silver cards, which fall every fourth pack, are uncommon. Gold cards, inserted one per box, are rare.
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.
The 1999 Upper Deck MVP Basketball set features a large base checklist with stars like Michael Jordan, Shaq, and Karl Malone, plus inserts like "MVP Dynamics," "Game-Used Souvenirs" (with player-worn material), "Theatre" (featuring stars like Hakeem & Ewing), and rare limited-edition parallels like Gold Script and Silver Script.
In 1999, Michael Jordan announced his second retirement from the NBA on January 13, ending his legendary career with the Chicago Bulls after winning six championships, citing mental exhaustion and a desire to spend time with family
The 1999 Upper Deck HoloGrFX basketball set featured a strong lineup of NBA stars and rookies. All known for their distinctive holographic designs, players like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce and Tim Duncan were key pulls in the day. “Maximum Jordan” inserts were found in 1:34 packs.
Jordan’s second retirement announcement, in January 1999, came after bitter tension between General Manager Jerry Krause and Coach Jackson resulted in Jackson’s leaving Chicago. Though he had earlier stated publicly that he would not play for any coach besides Jackson, Jordan explained his decision to retire by saying he had lost the drive and desire that was necessary to continue playing at such a high level, and that he wanted to spend more time with his family. When asked if there was a chance he would come back, Jordan said he was “99.9 percent” sure he would not.
In 1999, Michael Jordan announced his second retirement from professional basketball on January 13. After the announcement, he continued to be in the public eye, participating in events like the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament and being featured on various collectibles, such as trading cards and a TV movie. This period marked the end of the historic Chicago Bulls' dynasty.
The “Sports Illustrated” For Kids Halloween cards issued from 1997 to 2000 truly fulfill the magazine’s purpose – giving kids a fun look at the world of sports. Readers got a seasonal surprise in their October issues those years, when the nine-card trading card sheet inside the magazine transformed from action-packed cards of popular athletes into cards featuring illustrations of athletes dressed up and ready to go trick-or-treating. The Halloween cards do not necessarily hold a lot of monetary value into today’s market, but with numerous Hall of Famers from several sports featured on the checklist, these costume cards are worth their weight in nostalgia for many collectors. It’s also worth noting that it’s extremely difficult to get a 10 on an SI Kids card, simply based on the condition and the fact that they are cut/ripped from the pages.
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