When Bowman released a set of basketball cards in 1948, the game itself was still relatively new! Basketball was invented in 1891, and the NBA didn't come along until 1946. Knowing that timeline, you now understand why this set is so special - this is the FIRST set of basketball cards in the hobby! Each card is 2-1/16" x 2-1/2" in size; a little smaller than the standard size today of 2.5" x 3.5". Each card has a red or blue background with a photo of the player on the front. In total, there are 72 cards in the set. Bowman released the set in two different series with cards 1-36 in the first series and cards 37-72 in the second series. Cards from the second series are more scarce as they weren't in circulation as long as the first.

The key card of the set is #69, George Mikan. The Hall of Famer played for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League from 1946-47 and then the Minneapolis Lakers from 1947-54. After a short retirement, Mikan played for the Lakers in part of the 1956 season. In 1949, the BAA (Basketball Association of America) and the NBL merged to form the NBA. Mikan won at every level! During his career, Mikan accomplished:

• College player of the year in 1944 and 1945
• 7 championships between the BAA, NBL, and NBA
  • NBL champion in 1947 and 1948
  • BAA champion in 1949
  • NBA champion in 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954
• NBL MVP in 1948
• 4x NBA All-Star
• NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1953
• 3 straight scoring titles from 1949-1951

As you look at the Mikan card above, are you wondering where the Lakers got their name from? The Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960, but there were probably more LAKES in Minneapolis than LA when Mikan played. PSA has only graded around 450 of the Mikan cards and just one was given a grade of 10! The PSA 10 was last sold in 2019 for $403,664.00; expect that value to be much higher today. Even low-grade examples are valuable! The last PSA 1 was sold for $3,795.00.

Other key cards in this set include Andy Phillip (#9), Bob Davies (#10), Red Holzman (#32), and Arnie Risen (#58).

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