A Collector’s Guide to Michael Jordan Basketball Cards

Consider Adding These Michael Jordan Cards to Your Collection

Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Beyond his on-court talent, Jordan’s popularity extended to mainstream culture. Air Jordans became a must-have shoe, Gatorade created a “Be Like Mike” ad campaign, and Hollywood got in on Jordan’s fame with the release of the movie Space Jam. Michael Jordan basketball cards didn’t just feature the Bulls superstar, they became must-have collectibles for a whole generation of fans. If you’re looking to add Michael Jordan basketball cards to your collection, use this collector’s guide to help narrow down your choices.  

Early Michael Jordan Basketball Cards

Some of the first Michael Jordan basketball cards were produced by Star. The headliner is Jordan’s first licensed basketball card, #101 from 1984-85 Star. There are additional Star cards featuring Jordan, including ones that highlight his 1984-85 Rookie of the Year Award, All-Star selections, Slam Dunk and Olympic highlights, and other awards. Popular brands like Gatorade also sponsored a few of Jordan’s Star cards.

Beyond Star, other early Michael Jordan basketball cards include promotional items and stickers. The 1985 Nike Promo is one of the most popular. Jordan is captured doing the iconic Jumpman logo pose on an oversized promo card. Authenticated copies with low grades regularly sell for hundreds of dollars. As the condition improves, values skyrocket. A PSA 9 regularly sells for more than $3,000, and the largest sale of a PSA 10 in 2025 was $24,000.

Another popular Jordan promo card is the 1985 Merchante Campeonato, a Spanish company that sponsored basketball cards from the 1984 Olympics. Jordan’s popular pre-rookie sticker, the 1985 Prism Jewel Sticker, was originally sold in vending machines. There aren’t many graded copies of the sticker, especially compared to Jordan’s official rookie card. As of January 2026, only 262 copies have been graded. Many kids used the sticker as intended, putting it on books or their wall, not knowing that 35 years later, a copy in mint condition could sell for more than $40,000.

The Official Michael Jordan Rookie Card

Michael Jordan’s official rookie card is 1986 Fleer #57, one of the most iconic sports trading cards. In the card, Jordan is photographed going up for a dunk with his tongue sticking out. More than 45,000 copies have been authenticated and graded as of January 2026, but less than 350 have received a perfect Gem Mint grade. A PSA 10 copy sold for a record $840,000 in July 2021.

Michael Jordan autographed a few of these rookie cards during a private signing in 2024. One copy was later authenticated and graded by PSA. The card received a Mint 9 grade, while the autograph received a perfect Gem Mint 10 grade. It sold for $2.7 million in October 2025.  

Besides the #57 rookie card, Fleer also produced a small subset of stickers in 1986. Jordan is Sticker #8 in the set. Finding well-preserved copies of this sticker is also difficult, driving up the price of PSA 10 copies to more than $50,000 in 2025.

Popular Michael Jordan Basketball Cards from the Late 1980s

Besides the 1986 rookie card, there are several Michael Jordan basketball cards to collect from the late 1980s.

1987 Fleer Michael Jordan #59 & Sticker #2

The 1987 Fleer card and sticker are popular among collectors who want early Michael Jordan basketball cards but don’t want to break the bank on the rookie card and sticker. The base set has a more subdued design with gray bands along the top and bottom of the card, while the sticker has a colorful, star-studded design.

1988 Fleer Michael Jordan #17, All-Star Team #120, & Sticker #7

The third-year Jordan card and sticker remain popular among basketball card collectors. The card features Jordan in a red Bulls jersey with a colorful design on the front and back. Jordan is also included in the All-Star Team and Super Star Sticker sets from 1988 Fleer.

1989 NBA Hoops Michael Jordan #200

1989 NBA Hoops has a clean design that features players in the shape of a key. The background of the card is white, and the player’s name is centered along the top of the card. Ungraded copies are pretty inexpensive, costing just a few dollars. There is also an All-Star Game subset in which Jordan is included.

1989 North Carolina Collegiate Collection Michael Jordan

Jordan has 7 cards in the North Carolina Collegiate Collection by Coca-Cola. The set honors the best players and teams in the state’s basketball history, including Jordan during his time at UNC. There is also a gold version of the set, limited to 1,000 copies per card.

Michael Jordan’s Most Popular Cards from the 1990s

Jordan has hundreds of basketball cards from the 1990s, but a few stand out. These include the emergence of inserts and cards printed with new technology.

1992 Stadium Club Beam Team Michael Jordan #1

Beam Team inserts are one of the most recognizable inserts of the 1990s. Topps included 21 players in the original Stadium Club Beam Team set, and Jordan is, of course, one of them. The card features Jordan in a white Bulls jersey going up for a dunk with a foil laser design in the background.

1992 Topps Archives Michael Jordan #52

Prior to 1992, Topps hadn’t produced basketball cards since their 1981-82 set. This left them on the outside looking in at many of the top players’ rookie cards, but 1992 Topps Archives was the solution. Player photographs were printed on Topps card designs from the player’s rookie season, giving collectors a look at what could have been. Jordan’s 1992 Topps Archives card featured the 1984 Topps baseball card design. The card remains a popular and affordable one today.

1993 Finest Michael Jordan #1

Topps debuted the Finest brand in 1993, and with it came the debut of the premium Chrome finish we now take for granted. Jordan earned the first card in the set, and his card is still widely popular today. Ungraded and most graded copies typically sell for less than $100, but prices increase for PSA 9 and PSA 10 copies. The Refractor parallel is rarer and much more valuable than the base card. 

1993 Ultra Scoring Kings Michael Jordan #5

Scoring Kings was a 10-card insert set in 1993 Ultra, Fleer’s premium product. Scoring Kings cards were short-printed, with one included in every 36 packs. The front of the cards has a foil finish, making copies in top condition very expensive and hard to find.

1995 SkyBox Premium Meltdown Michael Jordan #M1

Skybox Premium was another premium basketball card product from Fleer. Meltdown was just one of the popular inserts from the 1995 release, but Jordan is also featured in the following insert sets: All-Defensive Team, All-NBA, Electrified, Famous Nicknames, Hobby Standouts, Inside Outside, Larger Than Life, and Power in the Key.

1996 E-X2000 A Cut Above Michael Jordan #5

Die-cut cards, those cut in different shapes rather than the traditional rectangular ones, are common today, but they were rare when Fleer released the E-X2000 A Cut Above insert. These cards were a true case hit, inserted once in every 288 packs.

1997 Metal Universe Precious Metals Gems Michael Jordan #23

The Precious Metal Gems parallels are some of the most valuable Michael Jordan basketball cards. 10 copies were printed in green foil and 90 in red foil, making these cards extremely rare. A green foil copy that was authenticated by PSA sold for $915,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2020, and a BGS 8 red foil copy sold for $480,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2021.

1998 E-X Century Dunk'N Go Nuts Michael Jordan #15

This card is a play on the pink and orange vibe of Dunkin’ Donuts. Jordan is seen going up for a dunk on a card with a completely clear background. It’s a unique card that remains popular today.

Michael Jordan Autographs and Other Modern Cards

Michael Jordan signed an exclusive autograph deal with Upper Deck in 1993, making their basketball cards some of the most popular of the decade when they rolled out Michael Jordan autographs.

1996 SPx Autographs Michael Jordan #8

Jordan’s debut basketball autograph came in the newly released SPx set from Upper Deck. Redemption cards were inserted in about one in every 960 boxes. The die-cut, Holoview card is tough to find in mint condition, so even low grades sell for a lot. A PSA 6 Auto 9 sold at Fanatics Collect for $34,500 in October 2025.

1997 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autographs Michael Jordan #GJ13S

Upper Deck was the first company to produce cards with pieces of a game-used jersey inside, and this card set the stage for the popular Patch Autograph cards we still collect today. What’s special about this Michael Jordan basketball card is that it doesn’t include just any jersey; it’s the one Jordan wore during the 1992 All-Star Game. The card includes an on-card autograph, and each copy is hand-numbered to 23. A PSA 7 Auto 8 copy became the first-ever seven-figure Jordan card when it sold for $1.44 million at Heritage Auctions in 2021.

2007 UD Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autograph Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant 1/1

This card is truly one of a kind, and it became the most expensive sports card of all time when it sold for $12,932,000 at Heritage Auctions in August 2025. The card includes the NBA logo from game-worn jerseys and on-card autographs from both Jordan and Bryant.

Add Michael Jordan to Your Basketball Card Collection

Ready to add the greatest player of all time to your basketball card collection? For a variety of Michael Jordan basketball cards, check out the AA Mint Cards online store!