Marvel illustrators helped create the designs for 1997 Metal Universe basketball cards, imbuing the printings with comic-style backgrounds and effects. Charles Barkley's #1 kicks off the set with a portrayal of the burly forward breaking through a wall. It was a fitting representation of the Chuckster's desire to break through his personal championship drought and also symbolic of the momentous impact the '97 Metal Universe release would have. As exciting as collectors found the base cards, the thrill grew exponentially if they uncovered a Precious Metal Gems parallel. “Once we got to the parallels, we said, ‘Let’s try to do something that as soon as you open that pack you would know this is not the base card,’” said Jean MacLeod, who served as a lead sports card designer for Fleer/Skybox throughout the ‘90s. “We really wanted you to know that you got something special.” Fleer/SkyBox produced 100 PMGs per card, emblazoning the first 10 with Green foil and the remaining 90 with Red foil. Because of the full-bleed, easily chipped foil, the cards became some of the most condition-sensitive of the era, making this BGS 8 a red-hot prospect in this month's auction.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 02/28/2025.
