Shortly after the Chicago Bulls won the NBA championship by beating the Utah Jazz in a series defined by the “Flu Game,” Upper Deck released the 50-card 1997 SPx basketball set that carries statistical information from the first half of the 1996-97 season and features a die-cut design with an “S” shaped cut on the left border and an “X” shaped cut on the right border. Serendipitously, Michael Jordan ended up in the SPX5 spot on the checklist, aligning with that victory over the Jazz for the fifth title of his career.
As stated in the Certificate of Authenticity included with this card, Upper Deck had His Airness sign this example at his 1998 Jordan Camp held in August of that year, later releasing it as a buy back. A handwritten 23/23 serial number joins the PSA/DNA Authentic Jordan autograph, adding extra oomph to an already powerful piece of M.J. collecting history.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 03/10/2025.
