
Ever since Fleer returned to the basketball card market in 1986, collectors loved ripping packs in hopes of snagging some of the era's biggest stars.
And there was always one name, in particular, they were hoping to find: Michael Jordan.
But the 1994 Fleer basketball set changed all of that...
With Jordan enjoying his first retirement from the NBA, he was nowhere to be found in the checklist.
All of the other big names were there.
And multiple promising rookies like Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, and Glenn Robinson gave collectors plenty to chase.
After appearing in eight consecutive Fleer sets, Jordan was missing.
But Fleer still delivered a solid set.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1994 Fleer #268 Jason Kidd Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
In desperate need of help everywhere on the court, the Dallas Mavericks looked to point guard Jason Kidd to help build out their future when they selected him second overall in the 1994 NBA Draft.
Kidd’s rookie season would find him paired with a young but unpolished Dallas team filled with promising talent.
The Mavericks had selected star shooting guard Jim Jackson out of Ohio State with the fourth pick of the 1992 NBA Draft.
And then they took star small forward Jamal Mashburn out of Kentucky with the fourth pick of the 1993 NBA Draft.
By drafting Jason Kidd to play point guard, it was clear the Mavericks were loading up on talent.
Kidd immediately fulfilled expectations, averaging 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists to earn a First-Team All-Rookie selection.
Even more impressive, Kidd split co-Rookie of the Year honors with fellow top draft pick Grant Hill.
With the Mavs hovering around .500 most of the season, the team seemed to be headed toward a playoff appearance.
Unfortunately, Jim Jackson fell to injury and derailed the Mavs playoff hopes as they ended their season 36-46 and in 10th place in the West.

1994 Fleer #280 Grant Hill Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
Duke small forward Grant Hill was already a household name when the Detroit Pistons selected him third in the 1994 NBA Draft.
The 1994 ACC Player of the Year, Hill was a two-time All-American and two-time national champion during his half-decade in Durham.
The trick would be to turn collegiate success into star-caliber play at the next level.
Lucky for Detroit, Hill was a gifted passer with an explosive downhill style that allowed him to excel early as a scorer, rebounder, defender, and playmaker.
In his rookie year with the Pistons, Hill averaged 19.9 points (on 47.7% shooting), 5.0 assists, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.77 steals in 38.3 minutes per game.
Splitting the NBA Rookie of the Year award with Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd, Hill was exemplary for a terrible Pistons team.
The first Rookie of the Year for Detroit since Dave Bing (1966-67), it often felt like Hill was one of the only things worth watching for the 28-54 Pistons.
The team’s roster was too thin and too young to make much of a move.
Given time, though, Hill’s do-it-all skill set and a revamped roster helped Detroit once again become a playoff regular.

1994 Fleer #35 Scottie Pippen
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
It would be foolish to let Michael Jordan's return overshadow what Scottie Pippen did in the 1994-95 season.
Before Jordan's unretirement, Pippen almost singlehandedly kept the Bulls in the playoff race.
He did so with an all-around banger of a season that doesn't get nearly enough credit in retrospect.
The 29-year-old small forward became the first player since Boston's Dave Cowens in 1977-78 to lead his team in scoring (21.4 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), rebounding (8.1 rpg), blocks (1.13 bpg), and steals (2.94 spg).
Furthermore, Pippen's nearly three steals per contest led the NBA, a crazy stat considering that he was usually tasked with guarding an opponent's top-scoring threat.
Some players make their money for their work as lockdown defenders.
Others get paid for elite scoring or rebounding.
Pippen did it all and then some, earning First Team All-Defensive and All-NBA honors for his hard work.
Uncharacteristically, the Bulls flamed out against the Magic in the Semifinals.
However, Pippen was as dependable as ever in the postseason, averaging 17.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks in ten playoff games.

1994 Fleer #85 Hakeem Olajuwon
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
A fifth-place finish in the league's MVP voting was more indicative of the league's wealth of talent during the 1994-95 season than of Olajuwon himself.
Perhaps the most respected player of his era by those who played with and against him, Olajuwon was nearly unstoppable from 1993-95.
And with Jordan out of the NBA Finals picture for a couple of years, The Dream took the proverbial bull by the horns and pushed the Rockets to back-to-back titles.
During the 1994-95 regular season, Olajuwon averaged 27.8 points (on 51.7% shooting), 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.4 blocks, and 1.8 steals in 39.6 minutes per game.
It was enough to earn Hakeem yet another All-Star nod and a Third-Team All-NBA spot.
The fact that David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal outperformed Olajuwon for All-NBA considerations seemed to light a fire under him.
And come the postseason, it was everyone else who got burnt.
Olajuwon went bonkers in the playoffs, averaging a league-best 33.0 points and tacking on 10.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 blocks in 22 postseason games while being named the 1995 Finals MVP.
There may have been other big men with better regular seasons.
But no one was better in the biggest moments than Olajuwon that season.

1994 Fleer #160 Shaquille O'Neal
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
Shaquille O'Neal had already established himself as a true superstar entering just his third NBA season.
But he took another step forward during the 1994-1995 campaign, leading the league in scoring for the first time with an average of 29.3 points per game.
Additionally, O'Neal averaged 11.4 rebounds per game as he proved time and again to be too much for opposing teams to handle down low.
O'Neal made the All-Star team for the third-straight season while earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing second to David Robinson in the MVP race.
Behind the one-two punch of O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway, the Orlando Magic continued to build into a powerhouse, finishing the year with a 57-25 record, the best in the Eastern Conference.
Shaq and the Magic fought past the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference playoffs, leaving many thinking they might bring the first ring to Orlando in franchise history.
Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets and Olajuwon slammed the door on those hopes as they steamrolled the Magic in four games.

1994 Fleer #175 Charles Barkley
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
At age 31, Barkley proved he still had plenty left in the tank and could still be a star in the NBA during the 1994-95 season.
After dealing with an injury to start the year, he returned and played a crucial role in leading his Phoenix Suns back to the postseason.
Barkley ended the regular season with his ninth-straight All-Star selection and an impressive 23 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
With a 59-23 record and first-place finish in the Pacific Division, Barkley and the Suns looked to make another deep postseason run to finally get over the championship hump.
After quickly dispatching Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-game sweep in the opening round, the Suns and Rockets again met for a Western Conference Semifinals showdown.
After losing in seven to Houston in the Western Conference Semifinals the year before, the Suns were out for revenge.
Barkley fought tooth and nail, lighting up the scoreboard and pulling down rebound after rebound to help Phoenix build a convincing 3-1 series lead.
But suddenly, things fell apart as Houston licked their wounds and regrouped for an amazing comeback.
The Rockets won the final three games of the series, including a 115-114 classic in Game 7 to knock out Barkley and the Suns once more.

1994 Fleer #209 Dennis Rodman
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
The 1994-95 NBA season was a mess for Dennis Rodman and the San Antonio Spurs.
On the plus side, the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1983.
On the other hand, Dennis Rodman's erratic behavior took the focus away from the team's on-court achievements.
The 33-year-old forward served two suspensions, took one leave of absence, and separated his shoulder in a motorcycle accident, all in the same regular season.
He played only 49 games in total, barely qualifying for his fourth straight rebounding title (16.8 rpg).
A First-Team All-Defensive pick for the sixth time, there was no question what Rodman brought to San Antonio when locked in on the game itself.
However, that was rare in his last year with the Spurs.
Rodman received yet another suspension during the team's second-round playoff win over the Lakers, this time for taking off his shoes and sitting on the floor during a timeout.
And when the Spurs eventually got bounced by Olajuwon and the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, Rodman blasted head coach Bob Hill and general manager Gregg Popovich repeatedly in interviews.
Things had, not surprisingly, reached their tipping point.
Rodman was traded to the Bulls before the 1995-96 season, ending his two-season headache in the Lone Star State.

1994 Fleer #92 Reggie Miller
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Averaging 19.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, Reggie Miller remained the heart and soul of the Indiana Pacers, shooting a blistering 41.5% from three-point range.
His ability to stretch defenses and deliver in critical moments was unmatched.
And his performance in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals was a glaring example.
With just 8.9 seconds left and trailing the New York Knicks by six, Miller scored eight points in a stunning sequence: a three-pointer, a steal, another three-pointer, and two free throws.
Just like that, the Pacers snacked victory from the jaws of defeat.
And the iconic moment further solidified Miller's reputation as the "Knick Killer."
Unfortunately, there would be no ring for Miller and crew.
The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where Miller averaged 25.5 points per game in a hard-fought seven-game series loss to the Orlando Magic.
Miller's 1994-95 season was a testament to his clutch gene, leadership, and unwavering ability to shine brightest when the stakes were highest.

1994 Fleer #208 David Robinson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

1994 Fleer #150 Patrick Ewing
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20

1994 Fleer #224 Karl Malone
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

1994 Fleer #227 John Stockton
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

1994 Fleer #276 Jalen Rose Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $15
Jalen Rose took years and a change of scenery to realize his potential at the NBA level.
As a part of Michigan's storied "Fab Five," Rose was a big-time star before he signed an NBA contract.
And with the 13th overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets hoped Rose could tip the scales for them from playoff team to legit championship threat.
Instead, they got an unfinished product and a versatile swingman who was more a role player than a lead option.
Rose played 81 of 82 regular season games for Denver, scoring 8.2 points per game on 45.4% shooting.
And he was also a deft passer, dishing 4.4 assists per contest in just 22.2 minutes per game.
However, Rose wasn't the big-time boost the Nuggets needed to capitalize on a Western Conference Semifinals appearance the year before.
Denver finished at 41-41, squeaking into the playoffs only to get swept right out by San Antonio in the first round.
Rose played just one more year in Denver before they traded him to the Indiana Pacers.
The move eventually jump-started Rose's professional career as a player and later as a popular broadcast personality.

1994 Fleer #308 Eddie Jones Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $15

1994 Fleer #320 Glenn Robinson Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $15

1994 Fleer Basketball Cards In Review
While it was a huge bummer to not see Michael Jordan in the set, there were plenty of solid cards to collect in the 390-card checklist.
Plenty of familiar faces like Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Scottie Pippen gave collectors a nice dose of star power.
And several up-and-coming rookies like Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Glenn Robinson and others offered a chance at snagging a potential future Hall-of-Famer in his cardboard debut.
Fleer also included a couple of cards dedicated to promoting the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies, two new expansion franchises that would make their debuts during the 1995-96 NBA season.

The card designs were fairly straightforward, offering fantastic action shots with player and team names highlighted in the lower-left with a splatter effect.
Make no mistake: collectors were still reeling from Michael Jordan's retirement and disappointed with his absence from the checklist.
But on the bright side, there were still many outstanding players to collect and rookies with huge upside.