After Topps left the basketball card industry following its 1981-82 release, the only licensed NBA cards on the market from 1983 to ’85 came from the Star Company. Star did not produce large quantities of its cards and did not distribute them through the same channels Topps had. Star packaged the cards in clear plastic bags as team sets or complete subsets, rather than including a random assortment of cards from the checklist in wax packs. The company then sent the poly bags to dealers and accepted mail orders from around the country. Further complicating the matter for Jordan collectors, his card laid atop Bulls team sets, subjecting it to shifting and stacking that occurred as employees stocked the cards and consumers handled them.
This is the first and most famous of M.J.'s Star cards. The reverse side lists the stats he compiled during his three seasons at UNC. At the time, his title-clinching shot in the 1982 NCAA final seemed like a once-in-a-career event. Little did collectors know it was just the beginning of one of the most momentous careers in sports history.
Learn more about M.J. rookies and more in our Guide to Michael Jordan’s Early-Career Basketball Cards: https://www.fanaticscollect.com/definitive-guides/a-guide-to-michael-jordans-early-career-basketball-cards
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 05/14/2026.
