1980 Topps Basketball Larry Bird Julius Erving Magic Johnson ROOKIE PSA 10 GEM MINT

It is Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. The Lakers own a three games to two series lead over Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers. Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has led the first five games in scoring and rebounds but cannot go in Game 6 due to an ankle injury. Sportswriters conclude the Lakers cannot win without Kareem. Sensing the urgency of a win, Laker coach Paul Westhead asks 20-year-old rookie Earvin “Magic” Johnson to play center in Kareem’s stead. Assistant Coach Pat Riley agrees. Having led Michigan State to a win over Larry Bird and Indiana State in the 1979 NCAA Championship as a college sophomore, Magic has established he can handle the big stage. The Lansing, Michigan star played every position during the regular season, so he does not hesitate. The game see-saws back and forth until the fourth quarter. In the final minutes, Magic puts on a clinic, scoring 11 points. For the game, he sinks all 14 of his free throws and posts 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, three steals, and a block—a stunning stat line and career highs in the most important game of his career. Not even Dr. J can stop him. The game turns Magic into a legend. Most fans had never seen a 6’9” point guard let alone one who could handle the rock like Magic. With his fake passes, spinning moves, and finger rolls, he mastered the no-look pass and played guard like nobody before or after him. He led his team to the NBA Finals in nine of his 13 seasons, captured five titles, and won three MVP awards. His only rookie card celebrates the dawn of one of the most magical careers in NBA history. And Topps threw in a Larry Bird rookie and Julius Erving shot as a bonus. PSA has only graded 22 GEM MT examples out of 10,408—that is a microscopic 2/10ths of 1%. Given Bird and Magic’s rank as two of the all-time greats and their popularity off the court, we anticipate this card has legs for the long haul.