12 Most Valuable 1998 Topps Basketball Cards
At the time, it was anyone’s guess how well the 1998 Topps basketball set would turn out in hobby history.
With players and owners unable to agree on various league rules and contractual obligations, the NBA endured a lockout that shortened the season to 50 games.
Fans and collectors were understandably frustrated…
But eventually play resumed and the league recovered.
And some of the guys who made their rookie debuts in this set turned out to be NBA legends.
The rookie class on the 220-card checklist is loaded, headlined by Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki, as well as future Hall of Famer Vince Carter.
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan also headline a solid list of non-rookies that round out an impressive checkliSt. And in this guide, we look at the 12 most valuable.
Let’s jump right in!
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Ross Uitts – Owner
- #1
1998 Topps #68 Kobe Bryant
PSA 10 Value $350Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)The 1998-99 NBA season was the year that the basketball world truly saw Kobe Bryant begin to emerge as a budding superstar.
Sure, he made the All-Star the year before, becoming the youngest in NBA history to do so at 19 years and 169 days old.
But, remember, he was still coming off the bench that year and even finished second in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
But in 1998, Bryant was finally a starter.
All-Star guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones were no longer with the Lakers, and it was Bryant’s time to shine in the backcourt.
And shine, he did.
Starting in all 50 games in the lockout-shortened season, Bryant averaged 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for an above-average Lakers team.
At 31-19, the Lakers finished second in the Pacific Division for the second year in a row, this time behind a resurgent Portland Trail Blazers club.
Bryant wasn’t quite the complete package he would later become throughout his legendary career.
But he wasn’t far off either.
By the following season, he and big man Shaquille O’Neal would win the first of three straight championships, with Bryant ultimately winning five before retiring after the 2015-16 season.
- #2
1998 Topps #77 Michael Jordan
PSA 10 Value $350Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)Coming off their second three-peat of the 1990s after a Game 6 win against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals, the future of the Chicago Bulls was unclear that summer.
That may be putting it lightly.
Let’s be honest, the Bulls dynasty was in shambles almost overnight.
Head coach Phil Jackson’s contract was up, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were on their way out, too, and the NBA was about to undergo a lockout until January 20, 1999.
And, though many expected Jordan to retire again, he didn’t make it official until January 13, 1999.
Just like that, the biggest name in the NBA was again out of the game.
Although he wouldn’t suit up for the 1998-99 season, he made it into Series 1 boxes and remains one of the most-coveted cards in the checkliSt. Like many Jordan cards, the image features Jordan soaring above the rim in his vivid red Chicago Bulls jersey.
Jordan never wore Chicago Bulls red again after the 1998 NBA Finals, but he did eventually put on another NBA jersey.
Less than two years later, on September 25, 2001, Jordan shocked the basketball world when he announced he would play for the Washington Wizards.
- #3
1998 Topps #154 Dirk Nowitzki Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $150Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)Usually, the big guys spent their time down low in the post, using their height and power to muscle their way in for short-range buckets.
Nowitzki changed all of that.
It’s not that he couldn’t be effective under the basket, as he certainly was.
But he was an incredible shooter from the outside, too.
And his 7’0″ frame made it nearly impossible for anyone to contest his shots.
Nowitzki relied on that rare talent to become lethal on offense.
Selected 9th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1998 NBA Draft, Dirk suited up for his debut with the Mavericks on February 5, 1999, on the road at Seattle.
And he never looked back.
Until his final game at San Antonio on April 10, 2019, Nowitzki remained with Dallas, establishing the NBA record for most seasons (21) with a single team.
He picked up several more accolades along the way, including 14 All-Star selections, twelve All-NBA nominations, an MVP award (2006-07) and an NBA Championship (2011).
Nowitzki changed the game forever.
And he left a legacy as arguably the greatest European player in NBA history.
- #4
1998 Topps #199 Vince Carter Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $125Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)As an expansion team, the Toronto Raptors were not allowed to win the 1998 NBA Draft lottery.
But even without the first pick of the draft, they arguably came out the biggest winner.
Still, it took some maneuvering to get there.
Drafting in the fourth spot, the Raptors selected reigning Naismith and Wooden Award winner Antawn Jamison after a three-year collegiate career at North Carolina.
But Jamison wasn’t really the guy they were truly after.
Instead, Raptors GM Glen Grunwald was more partial to Jamison’s Tarheel teammate, Vince Carter.
However, Grunwald knew how badly Golden State (sitting with the fifth pick of the draft) wanted Jamison.
So, the Raptors took Jamison with the fourth pick while making a deal with Golden State to take Carter with the fifth pick.
Once both picks were complete, Golden State sent Carter and cash compensation to Toronto in exchange for Jamison.
The trade worked out for both teams.
But, it worked out exceptionally well for Toronto, as Carter would capture Rookie of the Year honors after posting 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3 assists per game.
The high-flying star would spend seven seasons in Toronto before finishing out the rest of his record-setting 22 NBA seasons with seven other teams.
- #5
1998 Topps #135 Paul Pierce Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $85Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)The Boston Celtics of the mid-1990s were a team in a freefall.
The glory days of hanging banners in Boston Garden in the 1980s thanks to Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson were long gone.
During the 1996-97 season, the Celtics hit rock bottom, finishing at 15-67, the exact inverse of their last championship season in 1985-86.
But, the future became a whole lot brighter for Boston when they drafted Kansas standout Paul Pierce with the tenth pick of the 1998 NBA Draft.
Still, at the time, it was tough to see.
Under head coach Rick Pitino, the Celtics still weren’t all that great in 1998.
No, at 19-31, they were pretty terrible.
But, Pierce was one of the few bright spots, averaging 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game to finish third in voting for Rookie of the Year.
While Pierce’s individual performance drew praise and media attention, the Celtics as a team received only negative reviews.
Eventually, the Pitino experiment ended with a thud.
As did the rest of the 90s.
But, things would get much better the following decade, culminating with the ten-time All-Star helping the Celtics raise another championship banner in 2008.
- #6
1998 Topps #153 Jason Williams Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $40Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)Though he may never have been an All-Star, few players were more exciting to watch in the late 90s and 2000s than Jason Williams.
With a dazzling display of seemingly impossible no-look passes and incredible dribbling skills, Williams was a one-man circus on any given night.
After a collegiate career at Marshall and the University of Florida, the West Virginia native found himself on the West Coast when the Sacramento Kings drafted him with the seventh pick of the 1998 NBA Draft.
Williams wasted no time becoming a fan favorite.
Averaging 12.8 points, six assists, and 1.9 steals per game, Williams earned First-Team All-Rookie honors and finished second (albeit distant) in the NBA Rookie of the Year race.
More importantly, after a two-year playoff drought, a solid Kings squad built around a team-first mentality was back in the postseason.
Facing a tough Utah Jazz squad led by Karl Malone and John Stockton, Williams was one of seven players in the Sacramento lineup to average more than 8 points per game.
The teamwork was solid.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as the Jazz took games 4 and 5 to seal the series win at three games to two.
- #7
1998 Topps #125 Kevin Garnett
PSA 10 Value $30Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)From July 1, 1998, to January 20, 1999, the NBA endured a 204-day work stoppage.
In the process, the NBA lost its distinction as the only major sports league to have to cancel part of its season.
And, right or wrong, Kevin Garnett was in the spotlight.
Well, at least the six-year $126 million contract he signed the year before on October 1, 1997, was.
As you can imagine, one of the owners’ disputes was that the NBA should implement rules to prevent such enormous contracts for younger players.
Eventually, owners and players agreed on various rules affecting player salaries, and play resumed on February 5, 1999.
Garnett wasted no time proving why the Minnesota Timberwolves had paid him so much.
Appearing in 47 of the 50 games that season, Garnett increased his scoring (20.8 ppg), rebounding (10.4 rpg) and assists (4.3 apg) output, solidifying his place as a superstar.
Minnesota wasn’t all that impressive as a team, finishing 25-25 and being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs 1-3 by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs.
But Minnesota had their franchise guy in Garnett.
A tenth-place finish in the MVP race, seventh-place finish for Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-NBA Third-Team selection solidified that fact.
- #8
1998 Topps #160 Allen Iverson
PSA 10 Value $30Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)In his third year in the NBA, Allen Iverson looked to make the leap from promising young talent into a true superstar.
And he did so with flying colors.
Leading the NBA in both minutes played (41.5) and points per game (26.8), Iverson utilized his incredible quickness and agility to become the premier scoring threat in the league.
Nobody could stop his crossover or contest his smooth jump shot off the dribble.
He was also scrappy on defense, averaging 2.3 steals per conteSt. At just 23 years old, Iverson finished fourth in the MVP vote while making the All-NBA First-Team for the first time in his storied career.
With Iverson at the helm, the 76ers made their first playoff appearance since the 1991-92 NBA season before Charles Barkley left town for the Phoenix Suns.
As the sixth seed, Iverson and crew faced off against the third-seeded Orlando Magic in the First Round, taking care of them quickly to win the series 3-1.
Iverson was impressive against the Magic, putting up 28 points per game, including a 33-point and 10-steal performance in game 3.
Unfortunately, the Sixers met Reggie Miller and an Indiana Pacers team on a mission in the Semifinals, losing all four games.
- #9
1998 Topps #175 Shaq
PSA 10 Value $30Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)In his third year as a Laker, Shaq was part of a young generation of superstars trying to cement themselves as the next “face of the NBA” in Michael Jordan’s absence.
He did a pretty good job, averaging 26.3 points and 10.7 rebounds to help the 31-19 Lakers finish fourth in the WeSt. And his larger-than-life personality shone brightly under the Los Angeles spotlight.
But could he and a young Kobe Bryant bring another championship trophy home to L.A.?
That’s all he really cared about.
Due to the shortened season, it was difficult to predict who the best teams truly were heading into the playoffs.
But the Lakers seemed as likely as any other team to take the championship.
In the First Round, the Lakers defeated an old but talented Rockets team led by Hakeem Olajuwon 3-1.
It was a bit of sweet revenge for Shaq, seeing as how the Rockets demolished his Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals.
However, the 1998 Western Conference Semifinals were a different story.
Shaq and crew got ran over by a San Antonio Spurs freight train led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
The Lakers were no match for the eventual 1998 NBA champs, losing in a 4-0 sweep.
- #10
1998 Topps #201 Peja Stojakovic Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $30Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)With the 14th pick in the 1996 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings looked to Serbian sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic to spread the floor with his lethal shooting from outside.
However, Stojakovic wouldn’t make his NBA debut until the 1998-99 season after spending a couple of years playing in Greece.
During his rookie season, the small forward averaged 8.4 points and 3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game off the bench.
With Corliss Williamson firmly entrenched as the Kings’ starting small forward, Stojakovic gave the Kings depth at the position for his first two years in the league.
But after five years in Sacramento, Williamson left for the Toronto Raptors in a trade for shooting guard Doug Christie ahead of the 2000-01 season.
Finally, it was Stojakovic’s time to shine as the starting small forward in Sacramento.
And that’s when the world really got a hard look at his NBA-level talents.
Stojakovic broke out that season, averaging just over twenty points per game and sinking nearly two three-pointers per conteSt. Before the NBA transformed into the league it is today where guys are shooting the lights out from downtown, Stojakovic was one of the guys who helped get it there.
- #11
1998 Topps #43 Antawn Jamison Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $25Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)Though the Toronto Raptors originally drafted Antawn Jamison with the fourth pick of the 1998 NBA Draft, they quickly reached a deal to send him to Golden State.
In exchange, the Raptors received Jamison’s good friend and college teammate, Vince Carter, whom Golden State had selected in the five spot.
It was an exciting move for both teams.
And, in the end, it worked out well for everyone.
Carter would go on to shine for seven seasons in Toronto and Jamison spent five successful seasons in Golden State.
Jamison started 24 of the season’s 50 games during his rookie year, averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for a below-average Warriors squad.
The following season, Jamison scored just under twenty points per game (19.6) while averaging 8.3 rebounds.
And he continued to produce similar numbers throughout his time in Golden State, proving to be a solid player and star in the NBA.
However, he never made an All-Star squad or made the playoffs while with Golden State.
Jamison would eventually play for five other teams, most notably the Washington Wizards, with whom he played six seasons and was twice named an All-Star.
- #12
1998 Topps #196 Mike Bibby Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $25Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 0.0%)Like the Toronto Raptors, the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies were not allowed to win the 1998 NBA Draft lottery.
Instead, they found themselves with the second pick of the draft, which they used on Arizona Wildcats point guard phenom Mike Bibby.
Bibby nearly went to the Los Angeles Clippers at number one overall.
But, VP of Operations Elgin Baylor convinced the Clippers to use the first pick on Michael Olowokandi instead.
The Grizzlies didn’t complain and were delighted to welcome Bibby to Vancouver.
Bibby had a strong rookie year, averaging 13.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game to earn NBA All-Rookie First-Team honors.
Unfortunately, the rest of Bibby’s team wasn’t all that great.
Outside of Shareef Abdur-Raheem, the Grizzlies struggled, to put it mildly.
While the team began with a respectable 4-6 record after the first ten games, the remaining 40 games of the condensed season were not as kind to them.
The Grizzlies finished with an NBA-worst 8-42 record and 29 games behind the San Antonio Spurs in the Midwest Division.
The franchise didn’t stay long in Vancouver, opting to move to Memphis, Tennessee ahead of the 2001-2002 season.
But Bibby didn’t go with them.
Instead, on June 27, 2001, the team traded Brent Price and him to the Sacramento Kings for Jason Williams and Nick Anderson.
Ross’s Take
If you love rookie cards, this set is definitely worth a look.
When Vince Carter eventually joins Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce in the Hall of Fame, that will put the number of Hall of Fame rookies in this set at three.
And with other solid rookies like Jason Williams, Peja Stojakovic, Antawn Jamison and Mike Bibby in this checklist, you could say the rookie crop is excellent.
On top of all that, you’ve also got some highly desirable cards in Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, among others.
And, while the gold borders may be a bit condition-sensitive, they make for a great-looking design.
Other information about this set includes: Checklist: 220 cards Distribution: Series 1: 110 cards ; Series 2: 110 cards Subsets: Fan Club (#156 – 165) Checklists (#166 – 170; #416 – 420) Rookies (throughout checklist) Hit List (#346 – 375) Untouchables (#376 – 385) State of the Game (#386 – 415) Insert Sets 1998 Donruss Signature Series Previews Crusade Green Crusade Purple Crusade Red Diamond Kings Diamond Kings Canvas Dominators Elite Series FANtasy Team FANtasy Tam Die Cuts Longball Leaders MLB 99 Production Line On-Base Percentage Production Line Power Index Production Line Slugging Percentage Rated Rookies Rated Rookies Medalists Rookie Diamond Kings Rookie Diamond Kings Canvas This is a set that doesn’t get much love in the hobby these days but I still think there’s a lot too like.
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