One-Sheet Collections: Forgotten 1990s NBA Stars
The One-Sheet Collections idea is a simple concept with infinite possibilities. Take a single nine-pocket sheet and a reasonable $100 budget, and build a nine-card collection with a unifying theme.
As time passes, some standout players inevitably generate less attention than they deserve relative to their career accomplishments, and this week’s collection will focus on some of the forgotten stars of the 1990s.
Ahead I’ve highlighted nine players who were bona fide stars at their peak, and chosen one card for each of them to build a nine-card collection of underappreciated players worth more attention than they currently receive.
1996-97 Topps Draft Redemption #DP3 Shareef Abdur-Rahim ($10)
Arguably the greatest player in Vancouver Grizzlies history, Abdur-Rahim was chosen No. 3 overall in the loaded 1996 NBA draft. He made an immediate impact with 18.7 points per game as a rookie. Abdur-Rahim averaged more than 20 points for five straight seasons at his peak, yet he was named to just one All-Star Game and is rarely mentioned among the standouts of his era.
The Topps Draft Redemption inserts could be redeemed for an upgraded card of the player that corresponded to the draft position on the card. The Kobe Bryant ($1,200) card fetches a premium, and they are some of the best-looking cards of their release year.
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1993-94 Upper Deck SE Die Cut All-Stars #E8 Vin Baker ($12)
Baker starred for the Milwaukee Bucks alongside Glenn Robinson for three seasons before later playing with the Sonics, Celtics, Knicks, Rockets and Clippers. He was an All-Star in four straight seasons, averaging 21.0 points and 10.3 rebounds at his peak during the 1996-97 season, and he had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the All-Star Game that year.
Drafted out of the University of Hartford at No. 8 overall in the 1993 NBA draft, Baker has 11 different Rookie Cards, as well as a number of inserts from his rookie year that include the above die-cut from 1993-94 Upper Deck SE Basketball.
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1991-92 SkyBox #523 Terrell Brandon RC ($1.25)
Brandon began his career as a role player before turning in a breakout 1995-96 season where he averaged 19.3 points and 6.5 assists to earn an All-Star selection. He was an All-Star again the following year. Later in his career he would serve as the No. 3 scorer alongside Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury on the Timberwolves.
The No. 11 overall pick in the 1991 draft, Brandon has four different Rookie Cards that can all be found for a dollar or two.
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1994-95 Finest Refractors #323 Eddie Jones ($60)
Before Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were running the show for the Lakers, Jones was one of the faces of the franchise alongside Cedric Ceballos and Nick Van Excel. Jones was eventually traded to Charlotte in exchange for Glen Rice and went on to start with the Hornets and Heat, and he made three All-Star appearances in his 14-year career.
The most valuable of Jones’ 15 Rookie Cards is in the 1994-95 Finest set.
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1995-96 Topps Power Boosters #276 Anthony Mason ($3)
After averaging 28.0 points and 10.4 rebounds during his senior season at Tennessee State, Mason was a third-round pick in the 1988 draft, but he didn’t find a regular role in the NBA until the 1991-92 season with the Knicks. He was ahead of his time serving as a 6’7″ point forward and he averaged 10.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while earning an All-Star nod during the 2000-01 season in Miami.
The Topps Power Boosters inserts are extra thick, replacing two regular cards when they were found in 1:36 packs of Series 1 and Series 2. They rank as one of the best-looking parallels of the 1990s.
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1992-93 Stadium Club Beam Team #13 Mark Price ($10)
One of the best pure shooters in NBA history, Price averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game in his 12-year career while shooting 40.2 percent from beyond the arc and 90.4 percent from the free-throw line. He was an All-Star four times in his nine seasons in Cleveland.
His inclusion in the iconic 1992-93 Stadium Club Beam Team insert set is among his most valuable cards, far outpacing his lone Rookie Card in the 1988-89 Fleer set which has a book value of just $2.
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1990-91 Hoops #250 Clifford Robinson RC ($0.25)
A 6’10” forward with an outside shot, Robinson would have fit perfectly as a stretch four in today’s game. He spent the first eight years of his career in Portland, averaging over 20 points per game for three straight seasons and earning an All-Star selection during the 1993-94 campaign. He continued to be a solid contributor into his late 30s with the Suns, Pistons and Warriors.
A couple bucks is enough to pick up all three of his Rookie Cards from the 1990-91 Fleer, Hoops and SkyBox sets.
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1995-96 Metal Steel Towers #9 Rik Smits ($2)
Born in the Netherlands and affectionately known as the “Flying Dutchman” during his playing career, Smits was a towering 7’4″, 250-pound center who spent his entire 12-year career with the Pacers. He averaged 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game playing alongside Reggie Miller, and his 1,111 blocks rank 77th on the all-time list.
The 1990s Metal sets remain among the most sought after cards of the era, and the Steel Towers insert set in the 1995-96 release highlighted 10 of the game’s top centers.
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1992-93 Fleer Rookie Sensations #11 Steve Smith ($1.50)
Smith was one of the best sharp-shooters of the 1990s, and his 1,148 threes still rank 99th on the all-time list. He was a knockdown perimeter presence for the Heat, Hawks and Trail Blazers during his prime, peaking with 20.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the 1997-98 season when he was named to the All-Star Game for the only time in his career.
His Rookie Cards are all extremely affordable, as are the handful of inserts he was featured on throughout the 1990s. The Fleer Rookie Sensations inserts were one of the first chase cards at the start of the insert card boom, and his is a steal with a $1.50 book value.
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Total: $100
