Every basketball card collecting kid had some favourite sets. One of mine was the All-Star set top right. I guess I was impressed that the cards were embossed to feel like a real basketball. Inspired! 

(Three Bs: Babes, Basketball, Ballers).

Typically within a basketball card collection you can track the development of outside aesthetics—hip-hop mainly—and how they influenced basketball.

That is, a player’s ‘86 rookie card will feature tight shorts that end four inches above their knee. By ‘95, they look like they’ve been a part of an Allen Iverson-hosted What Not To Wear. 

Not the case with Stockton, who looks basically the same in every single photo of him ever taken. I assume he popped out of the womb with a five o’clock shadow, short shorts, and a preternatural ability to drop pinpoint passes. 

(Three Bs: Basketball, Ballers, Babes).

More vintage cards here. 

Chris Webber seems to have his arms up in an inordinate number of basketball card photos. (Finally, he puts them down to play some defense on the bottom left). 

More vintage cards here. 

(Three Bs: Babes, Basketball, Ballers).

A bit more Wilkins fo’ yo’ arse*.

(Three Bs: Babes, Basketball, Ballers).

*I’m Australian. It’s ‘arse’ for me, not ‘ass.’

You might be able to guess that I started collecting basketball cards at the end of 1994. As a result, to me, Dominique Wilkins wasn’t an Atlanta Hawks superstar. No, he was just a talented scorer for the Clippers, Celtics and Spurs.

(Three Bs: Babes, Basketball, Ballers).

Vin Baker, who was quite good (21 and 10 in ‘96-97!) until alcohol derailed his career, and led him to bankruptcy.

(Three Bs: Babes, Basketball, Ballers).

Over the next few days we’ll be having a look at some great vintage cards from my collection*. As a kid, I oddly loved the NBA Superstars series (bottom left). 

*I say my collection, but it’s really the 12-year old version of me’s collection. 

(Three Bs: Babes, Basketball, Ballers).