Baseball cards reigned supreme in the 1950s and ‘60s, so basketball production runs were low, and most collectors did not prioritize preserving their cards. As a result, few basketball cards from that era survived in quality condition. In addition to the low pop counts, many of the cards have significant centering issues that make it even tougher to find highly graded examples. Despite being one of the greatest players in the sport's history, collectors have few options when it comes to unearthing cards produced during Bill Russell's career. One such option comes in the form of this 1961-62 Fleer #38 issue, one of two Russell cards in the set.
No PSA-assessed example has earned a higher grade than this one. Of the nearly 1,600 copies they have inspected, this is one of just 29 (1.8%) to land a Mint 9 grade without qualifiers.
Learn more about the Secretary of Defense in our Guide to Bill Russell's Basketball Cards: https://www.fanaticscollect.com/definitive-guides/a-guide-to-bill-russells-basketball-cards
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 07/28/2025.
