1998 Skybox Molten Metal Fusion Titanium Kobe Bryant /250 #33F BGS 9.5 GEM MINT

In the late 1990s, Fleer/SkyBox became known for its innovative sets, scarce parallels and inserts, and entertaining flip-side content, and the company put all three to work on cards like Kobe Bryant’s /250 1998-99 SkyBox Molten Metal Fusion parallel. So, how did the company get it done? First, the debut SkyBox Molten Metal base set features three tiers—Metal Smiths, Heavy Metal, and Supernatural—carrying on a checklisting method that Fleer/SkyBox helped set in motion a few years earlier. Most of the league’s superstars fall into the last two tiers that make up the final 50 cards of the set, including Kobe’s appearance within the Supernatural tier. Second, true to the set’s name, production for a partial parallel called Molten Metal Fusion included the final 50 cards on the checklist on innovative die-cut metal cards, with hundreds of small holes creating an artistic design in the shape of a player’s face for the /250 parallel. A production error caused issues with the stamping on most cards in the set, but Kobe’s metal Fusion card received the correct “Supernatural Fusion” stamp (though his golden /40 Fusion Titanium card was impacted by the error). Third, writers at the company jam-packed Kobe’s 48-word biography on the back with information, paying homage to his status as the youngest All-Star in history, second-generation pedigree, classy style, and high-flying antics—a skill they dubbed an “ability to get up faster than a farmer with a rooster next to his bed.” No copy of this card in the BGS registry has a higher grade than this Gem Mint 9.5. Subgrades include 9.5 for Centering, Corners and Surface. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/02/2026.