The 1957 Topps basketball card set is, without a doubt, one of the most important sports card issues of the vintage era.
Between the release of the 1948 Bowman set and the 1961 Fleer set, it was pretty much the only game in town for basketball card collectors.
Sure, there were some small, regional sets here and there.
But 1957 Topps was the only major basketball set released during the 1950s.
For that reason, many of the game's biggest stars made their cardboard debuts when Topps printed these cards.
If you scan through the 80-card checklist, you'll notice something incredible:
25 of them are Hall of Fame rookie cards...
To say this set is loaded with superstars would be putting it lightly.
And in this guide, I'll run through the 15 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1957 Topps #77 Bill Russell Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $11,000
Do you want a bold, italicized example of Bill Russell's dominance over the NBA?
Look no further than November 16th, 1957.
Russell bodied the Philadelphia Warriors all night long, picking up a ridiculous 32 rebounds in the first half.
He followed that new NBA record with the full-game mark, pulling down 49 in a 111-87 beatdown.
The 23-year-old center added insult to injury by holding former record holder Neil Johnston to 0-for-11 shooting while on the floor.
Russell did all that in just one game of an eye-opening MVP season for the young superstar.
Without other centers' heft and bruiser frame, the Boston phenom used pinpoint positioning and raw athleticism to outwork and outthink opposing big men.
He won his first MVP, averaging 16.6 points and pacing the league with 22.7 rebounds per contest.
The defending champion Celtics ultimately lost their title to St. Louis after Russell suffered an ankle injury in Game 3.
They'd go on to win the next eight.
And Russell would go on to become one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
Today, his rookie card is the unquestioned key to the set and a must-have for any basketball card collector.
1957 Topps #17 Bob Cousy Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $2,100
Bill Russell owned the boards.
Bob Cousy made the plays.
It was a historically winning combination.
With Russell terrorizing the league in his first MVP year, Cousy's work as an all-around point guard was the perfect compliment.
He did everything for the regular season's best team, tallying the second most points per game on the squad (18.0) while leading the NBA in assists (7.1).
Cousy was also a tenacious rebounder at just six-foot-one, pulling down 5.0 boards per game.
The 29-year-old's greatest asset, as always, was his adaptability.
Cousy had a knack for diagnosing the game's flow, switching from facilitator to primary scorer on a dime.
Cousy was the straw that stirred the drink.
He also created ample space for Bill Russell and leading scorer Bill Sharman to work with.
Boston couldn't defend their title with Russell down to injury in the Finals, but Cousy dragged them close in a six-game loss to St. Louis.
1957 Topps #1 Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $750
Nat Clifton got his flowers in 1957.
He rode into the sunset shortly thereafter.
The first African-American to sign an NBA contract, Clifton pushed the New York Knicks to three consecutive Finals appearances from 1951 to 1953.
He averaged a near double-double over those three playoff appearances (9.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg).
In 1957, Clifton made his first All-Star Game at 34 years old to become the oldest game participant in history.
It was a career achievement award for “Sweetwater,” a bruising 6-foot-6 power forward with a sneaky shot and playmaking streak.
It was also the last hurrah for Clifton as a Knick.
In April 1957, the Knicks traded Clifton to the Pistons in a five-player deal.
He was well past his prime at this point, but it was a huge get for a franchise looking to make a splash after relocating from Fort Wayne to Detroit.
Detroit finished 33-39 to earn a Western Division playoff berth.
Clifton played just 10.6 minutes per game in his final postseason before retiring in the offseason.
Like most cards of this era that were number one in the set sequence and faced more exposure to damage, it usually commands a higher premium than usual if found in high grade.
1957 Topps #24 Bob Pettit Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $375
1957 was the heartbreak for Bob Pettit.
1958 was the exact opposite.
A year after his best efforts were laid to waste in a Game 7 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, the St. Louis Hawks power forward got one more chance to crack the Boston code in the 1958 NBA Finals.
The 25-year-old power forward was predictably awesome in the regular season, finishing third in the scoring title race (24.6) and third in rebounds (17.4).
Pettit made his living at the line, sinking the second most free throws in the league (744).
St. Louis placed first in the Western Division yet again (41-31) and punched through the Pistons in the Western Finals to set up another date with the Celts.
This time, the Hawks won their championship. Russell suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 and was ineffective in his Game 6 return.
Pettit averaged 29.3 points and 17.0 rebounds in the six-game triumph, including a new playoff-record 50 points in the deciding contest.
1957 Topps #19 Tom Heinsohn Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $350
Tom Heinsohn did the dirty work for the great Boston Celtics of the 50s and 60s.
The Holy Cross product entered the league at the same time as Bill Russell to form one of the most formidable frontcourt duos in NBA history.
He provided the punch, as Russell provided the grace.
Named Rookie of the Year in 1956-57, Heinsohn followed up his first-year spectacular with arguably a better sophomore effort.
The 23-year-old averaged a double-double for the first time, posting 17.8 points (on 38.2% shooting) and 10.2 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game.
His shooting efficiency went down, yet his confidence as a shooter began to grow.
As Heinsohn evolved into a primary scoring option, his work in the muck became even more admirable.
He put his nose down, drawing charges and backing up opposing defenders, and the points felt like a bonus.
Heinsohn helped push the Celtics to yet another Eastern title in 1957-58, adding another sturdy building block to a burgeoning dynasty.
1957 Topps #54 Earl Lloyd
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $325
The NBA’s first African-American player was a defensive stalwart.
Earl Lloyd averaged double digits in scoring just once in his nine-year career and never shot better than 37.4% from the field.
He was a strong rebounder at small forward, yet he was never among the league leaders in the category.
What Lloyd did best was lockdown all five positions on D.
The Syracuse Nationals placed near the top of the league in defensive rating multiple times in his six years with the team, and Lloyd spearheaded the effort.
Things began to wind down in 1957-58 in his last year with the team.
Lloyd struggled with injury and played the fewest regular-season contests (61) and minutes per game (17.1) of his career.
After Syracuse was bounced in the Eastern Division Semifinals, the veteran star was traded to the Pistons to finish out his historic NBA run.
1957 Topps #13 Dolph Schayes Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $300
Dolph Schayes was one of the most automatic buckets of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
A perennial MVP candidate, Schayes averaged at least 21 points per game for six consecutive seasons from 1955 through 1961.
Many of Schayes' points came from the free-throw line.
He led the league in charity stripe percentage in three of those six campaigns and shot no worse than 86.4%.
In 1957-58, Schayes tied a career-best with an NBA-leading 90.4% free throw percentage.
He finished second to Detroit's George Yardley in the scoring title race (24.9) and averaged a career-topping 14.2 rebounds.
Named NBA MVP runner-up, Schayes played all 72 regular-season games and led the league with 40.5 minutes per contest.
He averaged another double-double in the playoffs, dropping a 26.7/15.0 in a three-game Eastern Division Semifinal loss to Philadelphia.
With the Celtics clamping in a stranglehold on the East, Schayes would become no stranger to postseason heartaches.
1957 Topps #5 Bill Sharman Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $180
The Boston Celtics failed to win the NBA title only once in the five years when Bill Sharman and Bill Russell teamed together.
And it took an untimely injury to keep it from five-for-five.
Sharman and Russell were the perfect guard/center duo.
Sharman shot the lights out from all over the court while Russell cleaned up the misses in the post, with the two expertly connected by the great Bob Cousy.
During the 1957-58 season, Sharman averaged a career-best 22.3 points per game on 42.4% shooting.
He finished second in the NBA with an 89.3% clip from the free-throw line, ending a five-year run atop the league in the category.
(He placed second.)
The NBA's best regular season team was an odds-on favorite to win it all again in 1957-58.
After splitting the first two in a Finals rematch with St. Louis, though, Russell fell to an ankle injury in Game 3.
Boston never recovered and lost the series in six.
1957 Topps #37 Cliff Hagan Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $175
Cliff Hagan's hook shot was the right hook St. Louis needed to off the Celtics in the 1958 NBA Finals.
Hagan and teammate Bob Pettit torched the NBA all regular season long.
Both All-NBA forwards averaged double-doubles, with Hagan clocking in with averages of 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game.
If he had five extra minutes on the floor like Pettit had, he might have also grabbed an All-NBA First Team designation.
As it was, Hagan slotted into the second squad and earned down-ballot MVP consideration.
His fluttering hook shot made him virtually unguardable at times, whether he was stationary or coming in off the break.
It was even better for the sophomore standout in the postseason.
Hagan cut through the field like butter, leading the NBA in points per game (27.7) and field-goal percentage (50.2%).
He ripped Boston in Games 1 through 5 of the Finals before taking a backseat to Pettit's 50-spot in the 110-109 Game 6 clincher.
1957 Topps #71 Jack Twyman Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $175
During the 1957-58 NBA season, Jack Twyman planted the seeds for a historic scoring outburst.
Moving back to small forward for the newly-relocated Cincinnati Royals, the 23-year-old took things up a notch in his third professional season.
He was already one of the most efficient scorers in the league.
Now, he stood alone, leading the entire league with a 45.2% field goal percentage.
Twyman upped his scoring for the third consecutive season, dropping 17.4 points in 30.3 minutes per game.
His developing bag of post tricks made him nearly unstoppable.
Even in the face of big-bodied centers, the buckets dropped with ease.
Most importantly, Twyman’s confidence bloomed.
One year later, he’d finish third in the league at 25.8 points per game.
A year after that, the Hall-of-Famer joined Wilt Chamberlain as the first players in NBA history to average 30.0 points or better per contest (31.2).
1957 Topps #78 Clyde Lovellette Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $175
The Cincinnati Royals needed a hook to get fans in the building in their first year in the city.
That hook was former Minneapolis Lakers All-Star Clyde Lovellette.
The 28-year-old center went big in his final postseason with the Lakers, averaging a near double-double (24.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg) in five games.
Still, the Lakers got run out of the Western Division Finals in three by the St. Louis Hawks.
Cincinnati took their big swing shortly after, acquiring Lovellette in a blockbuster five-player deal.
It was enough to draw interest and get the Royals into their first playoffs since 1955.
Lovellette solidified a three-headed frontcourt monster with Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman, a trio that accounted for 57.5 of the team's 101.7 points per game.
Lovellette led all Royals players with 23.4 points per contest, good for fourth in the NBA.
He placed fifth in the Association in field goal percentage (.441) and averaged 12.1 boards for a fourth consecutive double-double campaign.
1957 Topps #42 Maurice Stokes Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $170
One of the most promising careers in NBA history ended with a stomach-churning suddenness in 1958.
Maurice Stokes was ahead of his time.
He was much different than most big men in the league when he arrived in 1955, balancing traditional back-to-the-basket force for a bag full of deft moves and pretty shots.
“The first great, athletic power forward,” Bob Cousy once said. “He was Karl Malone with more finesse.”
Stokes was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1956 and kept leveling up in his next two seasons with the Royals.
In 1957-58, he finished fifth in the MVP race with 16.9 points and 18.1 rebounds per game.
The sky wasn’t even a limit.
And then, tragedy struck.
In the final game of the regular season, Stokes crashed to the floor and cracked his head into the floor.
A scary scene got even scarier when Stokes was found to be paralyzed with post-traumatic encephalopathy.
Stokes’ teammates rallied to help pay his considerable medical bills.
Sadly, he died of a heart attack at just 36 years old.
1957 Topps #2 George Yardley Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $150
George Yardley created the 2,000 Club with a torrid 1957-58 performance.
One of the few consistent dunkers in the NBA, Yardley used every inch of his six-foot-five frame for an epic breakthrough.
The 29-year-old Detroit Pistons small forward won his first and only scoring title with 27.8 points per game.
He passed George Mikan (1,932) for the most total points in a season with a 49-point outburst in Game #70 of 72.
Entering the final game of the year against Syracuse, Yardley sat just 25 points shy of becoming the first 2,000-point scorer in NBA history.
The All-NBA First Teamer got it done like he had all year by bowling his way to the free throw line.
Yardley sidestepped an inefficient 8-for-22 shooting day with a 10-for-11 effort from the stripe, pushing his season total of free throw attempts to an NBA-best 808.
It all added up to 26 points for the game and 2,001 for the year.
1957 Topps #15 Frank Ramsey Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $145
Frank Ramsey was the sixth man who glued the Boston Celtics dynasty together.
The first man behind Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman in the backcourt, Ramsey was a tough-nosed shooting guard who could both fill it up and pull it down.
He returned from military service in 1956-57 and played a key reserve role in Boston's run to a title.
One year later, Ramsey took on more work, upping his minutes to a career-high 29.7 per game.
He set career bests in points (16.5) and rebounds per game (7.3), the latter placing third on the team behind the team's star frontcourt duo of Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn.
Ramsey saw his minutes increase as the Celtics were forced to play smaller after Bill Russell's NBA Finals injury.
He averaged 32.0 minutes in 11 playoff games, posting an 18.4/8.2 and a 91.5% mark from the free-throw line.
1957 Topps #27 Ed Macauley Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 6 EX-MT Value: $135
Ed Macauley played six consecutive postseasons with the Boston Celtics from 1950 through 1956.
However, he was shipped to the St. Louis Hawks before the Celtics grabbed the franchise’s first NBA title…
…against the Hawks.
Mccauley played a pivotal role in St. Louis’ run to the Finals, averaging 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in 29.7 minutes per game.
He dropped nine points and eight rebounds in Game 7 against Boston, a gut-punching 125-123 overtime defeat.
The Hawks and McCauley were denied their first NBA title.
A year later, though, it would be different.
Mccauley was also a different player in 1957-58.
The 6-foot-8 center had slowed considerably and lacked the durability of his previous six seasons.
He ended up splitting time with Chuck Share at the five in the regular season and the playoffs.
That didn’t dull the glow of the Hawks’ six-game Finals revenge against Boston.
Mccauley’s minutes decreased late, but the title meant more than individual production.
1957 Topps Basketball Cards In Review
It's easy to see why this set is so coveted by not only basketball card collectors, but by vintage enthusiasts as well.
Huge names like Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit, and many more, made their rookie card debuts in this iconic set.
Sure, there may only be 80 cards in the checklist, but with 28 of them being Hall of Famers and 25 of those being rookies, it offers one of the best chances of pulling a superstar of any set in the hobby.
Baseball and football card collectors of the 1950s were spoiled by how many sets there were.
Sure, "spoiled" is a relative term, considering how many different sets there are nowadays.
But, compared to basketball card collectors, baseball and football card collectors had many more options in the 1950s.
For basketball fans, this set was pretty much it.
It's an essential set in hobby history and one of my all-time favorites.
I have nothing but good things to say about 1957 Topps basketball.