Allen Bored
$1,767.37. That’s how much money I’ve spent on baseball cards and supplies in under a month. Do I need to remind you I went over 15 years without collecting? This probably needs to end soon but I know I’m not ready to quit. Is there like the equivalent of a methadone clinic for trading card addicts? Like I go there once a day and they give me a 1988 Topps Mike Dunne card that I think had 16 of when I was a kid.
Moving along in our third and final Topps worthless pack tribute, it’s on to basketball. What’s interesting about basketball cards is that Topps hasn’t always been a major player. In the late 80’s it was Fleer that was leading the way on basketball cards. In fact from 1982 to 1991 Topps did not release a basketball set and the 1992-93 set was their return to the sport. The card designs were exactly the same as Topps Baseball although they would split the set into two series, the first time they had done this for any set and would become the trend for them with baseball soon after.
Now this Series 2 pack had 1992 Draft picks in it so I had a shot at a Shaquille O’Neal rookie but I ended up with the #2 pick instead. The #2 will be prominent towards the end of the article (warning: lame shit joke ahead!).
#208
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 11 G, 4.5 PTS, 4.2 REB, 0.7 BLK, 18.7 PER, 0.1 WS
At the TRTSM forums we once had a thread with photos of star players in jerseys that just seemed wrong. I think this one would qualify as I have no memory of Moses Malone playing for the Bucks. He missed most of the ’92-93 season after offseason back surgery.
#236
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 77 G, 9.1 PTS, 4.9 REB, 3.4 AST, 12.9 PER, 1.8 WS
This is probably one of the most interesting “rookies” of all-time. Daniels was a former Jerry Tarkanian recruit at UNLV who never enrolled in school and his major college hoops career was ended before it began when he was arrested for buying crack. A couple of years later he was shot four times in the chest and shoulder. He played in minor league basketball for a few years but finally got his life together and made his NBA debut this season at 25 years old with Tarkanian as his coach with the Spurs. Tark would be fired 20 games into the season but Daniels had a pretty good year.
#246
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 20 G, 3.0 PTS, 2.2 REB, 0.3 BLK, 12.8 PER, 0.0 WS
Spotted on the pine with Walter Palmer, action photo! Mavericks released him January ’93.
#258
Card Value: $0.50
1992-93 Stats: 81 G, 14.7 PTS, 9.6 REB, 3.8 AST, 14.6 PER, 1.6 WS
Gugliotta was the #6 overall pick in the ’92 draft, he would be a first team All-Rookie team selection. His 9.6 rebounds per game would end up being a career best.
#281
Card Value: $0.20
1992-93 Stats: 82 G, 13.8 PTS, 13.0 REB, 3.5 BLK, 17.2 PER, 8.8 WS
The blocking Geico pitchman had his career best game for blocks (12) against the Clippers in April ’93 (box score). A few months earlier he had a phenomenal 29 points/22 rebounds game in an upset win over the Bulls (box score).
#296
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 69 G, 9.3 PTS, 1.5 REB, 2.7 AST, 10.9 PER, 0.8 WS
LaBradford Smith’s claim to fame would happen this season. In March the Bullets played a home-and-home series against the Bulls. In the first game in Chicago, Smith stunned Michael Jordan and the Bulls with 37 points. He never scored more than 22 points in any other game of his short four year career. Jordan after the game made up a story that Smith mocked him by saying “Nice game, Mike”. The next night Jordan lit up Smith and the Bullets for 47 points, 36 coming in the first half. Here’s highlights of both games.
#300
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 44 G, 2.4 PTS, 1.4 REB, 0.4 BLK, 9.7 PER, 0.2 WS
A Clippers draft pick bust? That’s unpossible. Randy Woods, their other other ’92 first round pick, was just as bad.
#318
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 54 G, 4.6 PTS, 2.4 REB, 0.4 AST, 9.9 PER, 0.8 WS
Hammonds had been acquired the previous season from the Bullets in an ill advised trade for Rex Chapman. Hammonds would be waived by the Hornets in January ’93 and finish out the season with the Nuggets.
#332
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 64 G, 1.4 PTS, 3.0 REB, 0.2 BLK, 5.3 PER, 0.6 WS
Another Greg Kite card! If I get his card in my next basketball pack then I think I’ll have no choice but to track down every Greg Kite card in existence.
#335
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 40 G, 2.6 PTS, 0.4 REB, 1.4 AST, 13.2 PER, 0.3 WS
Crotty made the Jazz roster as an undrafted rookie free agent.
#336
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 39 G, 7.2 PTS, 1.3 REB, 1.2 AST, 14.8 PER, 0.5 WS
Moore was a CBA legend, if there is such a thing. Marvericks waived him in February ’93.
#351
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 76 G, 15.1 PTS, 3.6 REB, 8.7 AST, 19.0 PER, 7.6 WS
Williams was acquired from the Pacers along with Chuck Person for Pooh Richardson and Sam Mitchell during the offseason. Williams would hit his last 84 free throws of the season to break Calvin Murphy’s consecutive free throw record. He’d extend the streak to 97 into the following season, a record that still stands.
#367
Card Value: $0.10
1992-93 Stats: 64 G, 2.4 PTS, 1.5 REB, 0.5 AST, 8.7 PER, 1.0 WS
Teams must have thought something of Wood as the Spurs gave up a 2nd round pick to get him before this season and he’d be part of the Dennis Rodman/Sean Elliot trade before the following season.
#393
Card Value: $2.00
1992-93 Stats: 78 G, 21.0 PTS, 10.3 REB, 3.5 BLK, 20.8 PER, 8.2 WS
Mourning probably would have won Rookie of the Year in most years with those numbers but Shaq trolled him the whole year. Mourning finished second among rookies in points, rebounds, and blocks which was good for a second place finish in the ROY voting after being the #2 pick in the ’92 Draft.
#280 (Gold Parallel)
Card Value: $0.25
1992-93 Stats: 74 G, 10.4 PTS, 3.6 REB, 7.7 AST, 14.5 PER, 4.0 WS
I got a golden Pooh card! The Pacers did not get the better end of the Richardson/Williams deal although they’d turn that turd of a deal into Mark Jackson during the next season.
Next Week: The beginning of a three week “celebration” of 1991 Fleer cards.
One Comment
Leave a Reply