Although baseball cards may be the most popular type of sports card, there are other types that people can collect; this includes basketball cards. Although the National Basketball Association was formed in 1946, the first official set of cards weren’t issued until 1948 by Bowman, which was called the 1948 Bowman Basketball Set. Even though this set wasn’t well known to collectors at that time, it has become an iconic set over time. (Related topics: selling my baseball cards, where to sell baseball cards)
The highlight of this set is the official rookie card of George Mikan. Mikan, who was also referred to as “Mr. Basketball”, was a player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakes of the NBA,. Some people consider Mikan as one of the best basketball players of all time due to his successful career; He won seven NBL, BAA, and NBA championships, an NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy, and three scoring titles. He was also the reason for changing some of the official rules of the game, such as introducing the goaltending rule, the widening of the foul lane, and the creation of the shot clock.
After his playing career, Mikan continued to make an impact on the game by becoming one of the founders of the American Basketball Association and serving as commissioner of the league. He was also involved in a legal battle against the NBA to increase the meager pensions of players who had retired before the league became profitable.
Due to all of his accomplishments, his rookie card in the 1948 Bowman Basketball Set has become very valuable. If you have a George Mikan card and you’re ready to sell it to sports card buyers in NJ, give us a call at American Legends.