NBA 50 Greatest Players Rookie Cards

by StarrsCards - 50 cards (Last updated on Feb 21, 2021)

This is a list of the rookie cards of the players listed as the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Yes I know that the Star cards aren’t technically the “true” rookie card but I’m including them anyway.

21. 1969-70 Topps #56 Wes Unseld

BAL/CAP/WSB 1968-69 to 1980-81
1978 NBA Champ
1969 All-NBA
5x All-Star (‘69, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘75)
1969 NBA Rookie of the Year
1978 NBA Finals MVP
1969 NBA Most Valuable Player
Wizards No.41 Retired
HOF Class of 1988

22. 1969-70 Topps #60 Willis Reed

NYK 1964-65 to 1973-74
2x NBA Champ (‘70, ’73)
5x All-NBA (‘67, ‘68, ‘69, ‘70, ‘71)
7x All-Star (‘65, ‘66, ‘67, ‘68, ‘69, ‘70, ‘71)
1965 NBA Rookie of the Year
1970 All-Star Game MVP
2x NBA Finals MVP (‘70, ‘73)
1970 NBA Most Valuable Player
Knicks No.19 Retired
HOF Class of 1982

23. 1969-70 Topps #75 Elvin Hayes

SDR/HOU 1968-69 to 1971-72/1981-82 to 1983-84, BAL/CAP/WSB 1972-73 to 1980-81
1978 NBA Champ
6x All-NBA (‘73, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76, ‘77, ‘79)
12x All-Star (‘69, ‘70, ‘71, ‘72 ‘73 ‘73, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76, ‘77, ‘78, ‘79, ‘80)
Wizards No.11 Retired
HOF Class of 1990

24. 1969-70 Topps #80 Earl Monroe

BAL 1967-68 to 1971-72, NYK 1971-72 to 1979-80
1973 NBA Champ
1969 All-NBA
4x All-Star (‘69, ‘71, ‘75, ‘77)
1968 NBA Rookie of the Year
Wizards No.10 Retired
Knicks No.15 Retired
HOF Class of 1990

1969-70 Topps #85 Dave DeBusschere Front

25. 1969-70 Topps #85 Dave DeBusschere

DET 1962-63 to 1968-69, NYK 1968-69 to 1973-74
2x NBA Champ (‘70, ‘73)
1969 All-NBA
8x All-Star (‘66, ‘67, ‘68, ‘70, ‘71 ‘72, ‘73, ‘74)
6x All-Defensive (‘69, ‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74)
Knicks No.22 Retired
HOF Class of 1983

26. 1969-70 Topps #98 Walt Frazier

NYK 1967-68 to 1976-77, CLE 1977-78 to 1979-80
2x NBA Champ (‘70, ‘73)
6x All-NBA (‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘75)
7x All-Star (‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76)
7x All-Defensive (‘69, ‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘75)
1975 All-Star Game MVP
Knicks No.10 Retired
HOF Class of 1987

27. 1970-71 Topps #123 Pete Maravich

ATL 1970-71 to 1973-74, NOJ/UTA 1974-75 to 1979-80, BOS 1979-80
4x All-NBA (‘73, ‘76, ‘77, ‘78)
5x All-Star (‘73, ‘74, ‘77, ‘78, ‘79)
Hawks No.44 Retired
Jazz No.7 Retired
Pelicans No.7 Retired
HOF Class of 1987

28. 1971-72 Topps #29 Nate Archibald

CIN/KCO/KCK 1970-71 to 1975-76, NYN 1976-77, BOS 1978-79 to 1982-83, MIL 1983-84
1981 NBA Champ
5x All-NBA (‘72, ‘73, ‘75, ‘76, ‘81)
6x All-Star (‘73, ‘75, ‘76, ‘80, ‘81, ‘82)
1981 All-Star Game MVP
Kings No.1 Retired
HOF Class of 1991

29. 1971-72 Topps #47 Dave Cowens

BOS 1970-71 to 1979-80, MIL 1982-83
2x NBA Champ (‘74, ‘76)
3x All-NBA (‘73, ‘75, ‘76)
8x All-Star (‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76, ‘77, ‘78, ‘80)
3x All-Defensive (‘75, ‘76, ‘80)
1971 NBA Rookie of the Year
1973 All-Star Game MVP
1973 NBA Most Valuable Player
Celtics No.18 Retired
HOF Class of 1991

30. 1971-72 Topps #170 Rick Barry

SFW/GSW 1965-66 to 1966-67/1972-73 to 1977-78, OAK/WSA 1968-69 to 1969-70, NYA 1970-71 to 1971-72, HOU 1978-79 to 1979-80
1975 NBA Champ
1969 ABA Champ
10x All-League (‘66, ‘67, ‘69, ‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76)
12x All-Star (‘66, ‘67, ‘69, ‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76, ‘77, ‘78)
1966 NBA Rookie of the Year
1967 All-Star Game MVP
1975 NBA Finals MVP
ABA All-Time Team
Warriors No.24 Retired
HOF Class of 1987

Comments

Feb 21, 2021 - 8:15PM
John5150

I remember this list in 1996 when the NBA turned 50. People were SO pissed that David Robinson and Shaq made it. Neither had won a chip and both had only wilted (no pun) in the biggest games. I think they earned their spot over the next decade. As 25 years have passed, I'd only add Duncun, KG (a slight stretch), Kobe, Lebron, Durant and Curry. Am I wrong and forgetting somone and who should get bumped to make room?

Edited on: Feb 21, 2021 - 8:26PM

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