The 1997-98 debut of Metal Universe intertwined cut-out action photos of players with colorful foil backgrounds designed in a comic art style. Perhaps most importantly, that inaugural release introduced basketball collectors to the Precious Metal Gems parallels – one of the most coveted parallel sets of all time. The PMGs are numbered /100, with the first 10 in the run featuring an emerald green background and the final 90 featuring a ruby red background. What makes them gorgeous – full-foil that bleeds to the edges of the card – is also what makes them so tough to come by in high grade thanks to frequent chipping.
Any 1997-98 PMG piques the interest of collectors when it's put up for sale, with cards showcasing some of the biggest stars of the era causing an even bigger stir amongst the hoops community. When it's a second-year Kobe Bryant, it takes things to an enitrely different level. This is one of Mamba's most iconic basketball cards, no matter the era, rarity or other enhancements. In fact, it's one of the biggest basketball cards of all-time—period.
Graded an EX 5, this card is a pop 4 in the PSA registry with just eight copies ranking higher.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 04/27/2026.
