In 1986, Fleer, which had been out of the basketball card business since 1961, inked a deal with the NBA to manufacture basketball cards. The company’s return to hoops became arguably the most famous card set in hardwood history—largely thanks to card #57, the Michael Jordan rookie card.
As Michael Jordan’s career unfolded, he generated interest in the set, which featured this wildly attractive card that perfectly captured one of his signature moves with his tongue out in full force. Fleer had the vision to use an action shot of the NCAA champion out of UNC, though nobody could have possibly predicted the height of his NBA success. The card is buoyed by not having any mainstream competition from other companies like Topps. As long as there are basketball card collectors, there will always be interest in this card.
Learn more about this iconic issue in our Guide to the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 Rookie Card: https://www.fanaticscollect.com/definitive-guides/a-guide-to-the-1986-fleer-michael-jordan-57-rookie-card
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 04/14/2026.
