This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/6/2021
Arguably the most celebrated and hyped arrival of a player onto the pro basketball scene was not Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but far earlier when the 7'1" Lew Alcindor was picked first in the 1969 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, who were in only their second year of existence. Alcindor would, of course, change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and go on to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, with a devastating "skyhook" shot that was basically impossible to block. A solid example of his rookie card is offered here, from the "tall boy" set issued by Topps in 1969, recently graded at the EX 5 level by the strict evaluators at PSA. The central image is extremely well-focused and registered while the susceptible white backdrop is noticeably free of errant print marks, and if the centering were slightly more accurate, there's a good chance this would be in a higher-grade holder.