Second Look: 1997-98 Metal Universe Basketball
At one point in my collecting career, I was a photography-only base card kind of guy. If the card didn’t feature any prominent photos — and it had to be top-notch stuff — I didn’t want it. I refused to accept the artsy products that were being pumped out by multiple card companies.
Then came my big sorting project with my cards. I began sorting them out and putting them into piles. That’s when I came across a product I hadn’t seen in a while and began to give it a second look. As I looked through the pile I became more intrigued.
That’s when I found myself in love with a product called Fleer Metal Universe. Don’t tell my wife.
One of the first Fleer Metal Universe sets that caught my eye was 1997-98 Basketball. The base cards are foil etched and feature a player on the card with an abstract comic book and space background. The backgrounds take you all the way from outer space to under the sea. It’s a fun mixture of backgrounds that gives you a different perspective on basketball and appreciate the art on a set like never before.
The base set has 125 cards, 32 of which are Hall of Famers. This includes Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant and David Robinson. The Bryant and Jordan base cards were selling for more than $100 each during the pandemic. The values have dipped some since, but they still go for more than a typical base card.
The base also includes five rookies, headlined by Tracy McGrady.
With a solid checklist, a fun design and a couple valuable cards in the base set, it’s a release that is worth taking a look at again.
After I discovered this set again, I have been adding what I can of the cards to try and build the base set. But, I have a long ways to go and still lack the two main cards in the collection. I will get there someday.
Uhh, David Robinson was not a rookie in this product.