25 Most Valuable 1992 Upper Deck Basketball Cards

Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days.

Like the 1992 Fleer, Hoops, SkyBox and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values.

So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition.

That means the card needs to be flawless.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list:

1992 Upper Deck #1 Shaq Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $2,250

During his time at LSU, Shaquille O'Neal wowed the NCAA basketball world with his size and dominant presence in the paint, becoming a two-time All-American and later winning the Adolph Rupp Trophy in 1991.

And with the NBA screaming his name, the generational talent decided to leave LSU early.

Just a handful of months after being selected with the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, 20-year-old Orlando Magic big man Shaquille O'Neal carried the expansion franchise into the basketball world spotlight.

In the summer before he relocated to Central Florida, the kid who'd later be known simply as "Shaq" put in work with legendary Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson in Southern California.

With the assistance of an unquestioned member of the NBA's Mount Rushmore, Shaq entered his rookie campaign well ahead of the curve.

The hype surrounding Shaq leading up to his rookie season was as huge as the man himself and sports card manufacturers primed the printers to take advantage.

Upper Deck issued this card as a short print and it would turn out to be arguably his most desirable rookie card in the hobby as the sequence of images leading up to a monster dunk was a hit with collectors.

1992 Upper Deck Shaq Rookie Trade Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $1,000

Upper Deck also issued redemption cards as part of a "Trade" program that collectors could send in for a version of the Shaq rookie that shows "Trade Card" across the top.

An example of the unredeemed trade card is shown below that features a horizontal layout with a shadowy figure dunking a basketball.

Whereas the standard rookie was distributed in Series 2 boxes, the redemption cards could be found in Series 1 boxes.

Aesthetically, the only difference with the trade card is that "Trade Card" is stamped across the top instead of "#1 NBA Draft Pick."

The trade card rookie is also not worth as much as the standard rookie but can still fetch $1,000 or so in top grade.

1992 Upper Deck #453 Michael Jordan

Estimated Error PSA 10 Value: $800

Estimated Correct PSA 10 Value: $150

The slam dunk competition originally debuted in 1976 as part of the ABA All-Star Game in Denver.

Years later, the NBA would include the event as part of its All-Star Game celebration in 1984, again in Denver.

Michael Jordan won his first Slam Dunk Contest in 1987 in Seattle and then became the first player to repeat when he won the competition again in 1988 in front of his home crowd fans in Chicago.

You may have seen footage of Jordan's second victory as he sailed from the free-throw line for a perfect 50 points to seal the win over Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins.

To commemorate Jordan's back-to-back wins, Upper Deck released this card that presents a beautiful image of one of his dunks from the competition in 1987 with a stamp in the upper-right that reads "1987 1988 Two-Time Champion".

However, they also released a version with a stamp that erroneously crowned him as a "1985 1990 Two-Time Champion".

Dominque Wilkins had won the 1985 contest in Indianapolis and the 1990 contest in Miami.

Upper Deck correctly showed him as the winner of both on card #454 in the set but also incorrectly listed him as the winner of the 1987 and 1988 contests on a variation of card #454.

Upper Deck had simply repeated the same mistake of swapping the images of Jordan and Wilkins on both cards and later corrected them.

1992 Upper Deck #506 Michael Jordan

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $600

After leaving Marvel Comics to found their own comics company called Image Comics, artists Jim Lee and Marc Silvestri partnered with Upper Deck to produce a five-card subset known as the "Fanimation" series.

The cards featured animated images of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Dikembe Mutombo, and Karl Malone with unique gear and abilities to help defeat a team of droids.

Each player had their own superhero nickname, too, and in Michael Jordan's case, he was simply known as "Agent 23".

His card features a horizontal layout and shows the superstar flying high above the outstretched arms of the droids trying to stop him.

You may be surprised at how expensive this card can be in high grade, as it's certainly held up well over the years.

1992 Upper Deck #23 Michael Jordan

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $300

In his last season before a controversial hiatus/retirement from the NBA for professional baseball, Chicago Bulls megastar Michael Jordan was at the peak of his two-way powers.

As a lockdown defender who bludgeoned on-ball assignments with ruthless precision and unparalleled intensity, Jordan struck visible fear in opposing players on the court.

He led the league with 2.8 steals per game in 1992-93 and earned a second-place finish in the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year balloting. And then, there was Jordan’s offense.

A scorer and pure playmaker in a class all his own, the 29-year-old living legend keyed a Bulls offense that finished with a 112.9 offensive rating, the second-best mark in the NBA.

Jordan finished the regular season averaging 32.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 7.3 free-throw attempts in 39.3 minutes per game.

His numbers were staggering, but it wasn’t enough to earn him his third-straight NBA MVP award.

That honor went to one of his friends and confidants, Phoenix Suns star Charles Barkley.

1992 Upper Deck #510 Bird & Jordan Fanimation

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $275

Card #510 was the last of the five-card "Fanimation" subset and featured both Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.

Or maybe I should say it featured Agent 23 and Birdman.

The reverse of the card also gives a nice write-up about who the creators were and how collectors could find the cards in high series foil packs.

The Jordan card is the most expensive of the subset, while this one that features both Jordan and Bird is typically the next-in-line.

1992 Upper Deck #SP2 Wilkins & Jordan 20,000 Points

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $150

Two NBA legends reached the 20,000 point milestone during the 1992-93 season.

Dominique Wilkins reached the mark first during the first game of the season on November 6, 1992, when he put up 30 points in a 106-94 loss at home to the New York Knicks.

A couple of months later, Michael Jordan reached the mark on January 8, 1993, when he scored 35 points to help the Chicago Bulls blow out the Milwaukee Bucks 120-95 at home.

This card commemorated both players' achievements by showing fantastic images of each superstar on both sides.

1992 Upper Deck #62 Jordan and Pippen

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $125

Arguably the most incredible one-two punch the NBA has ever seen, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen dominated the league during the 1990s to win six NBA titles.

Both were highly skilled on offense and defense and simply overwhelmed opposing teams.

Card numbers #62 - 66 formed a small subset known as "Scoring Threats" that featured two teammates from different teams who had a reputation of lighting up the scoreboard.

The reverse of the card mentions how Jordan and Pippen combined to average 50.1 points per game and won a second-straight NBA Title during the 1991-92 season.

There's no doubt their scoring ability helped them win all those rings, but their defense was just as critical.

1992 Upper Deck #425 Michael Jordan All-Star

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $125

Despite Michael Jordan's 30-point effort in front of the 19,459 in attendance for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah, the East lost 135-132 in overtime.

Since the game was in Utah, it was only fitting that Utah Jazz teammates Karl Malone and John Stockton took home co-MVP honors as they led the West to victory.

For Jordan, it was his ninth-straight All-Star appearance in as many years as he had made the team every year since his rookie 1984-85 season.

The imagery on this card is top-notch as Jordan goes up for a left-handed lay-up while West starters Karl Malone and John Stockton and reserves Hakeem Olajuwon, Sean Elliot and Dan Majerle are all in view.

1992 Upper Deck #488 Michael Jordan

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $125

Card numbers 483-497 in the set were part of a subset known as "Game Faces" that featured images of players with various facial expressions of joy, concentration, and intimidation, to name a few.

The reverse of each card contained a small write-up related to a facial expression of a given player.

For Jordan, the card highlighted that he often displayed many entertaining facial expressions during a game but was most often seen exuding extreme confidence.

Indeed it took a great deal of confidence to dominate his era and go down in history as the greatest ever.

1992 Upper Deck #507 Larry Bird Fanimation

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $125

Larry Bird had retired for the 1992-93 season but still was a big enough name to be included in the "Fanimation" series as none other than "Birdman."

Comic books and sports cards were both pretty hot markets when I was a kid, so I certainly remember thinking these "Fanimation" cards were cool when they first came out.

And now, they bring back tons of nostalgia.

1992 Upper Deck #SP1 Bird and Magic Retire

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $100

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were two of the biggest legends in the game's history, and unfortunately, both of their careers ended too soon.

Johnson was forced to retire after testing positive for HIV and Bird couldn't make it up and down the court like he used to because of chronic back issues.

To commemorate both of these superstars, Upper Deck created this card that each of them with a little mock newspaper in the left-hand corner that featured their retirement dates ahead of the 1992-93 NBA season.

Johnson initially retired on November 7, 1991, ahead of the 1991-92 season after announcing he had tested positive for HIV.

But, after making a brief comeback and appearing in the 1992 All-Star Game and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, he stated in September 1992 that he planned to come out of retirement for the 1992-93 season.

However, he ultimately decided to stay retired and formally retired again on November 2, 1992, because of the controversy he felt there was about him playing again.

On the other side, Larry Bird announced his retirement on August 18, 1992, after winning a gold medal in Barcelona.

1992 Upper Deck #32A Magic Johnson

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75

After testing positive for HIV, Magic Johnson retired from basketball ahead of the 1991-92 NBA season.

However, he did appear in the NBA All-Star Game that year, winning MVP honors in the process, and helped lead the United States Men's Basketball Team to a gold medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics.

After returning from Barcelona with his gold medal, though, Johnson remained retired for the 1992-93 NBA season.

Still, Upper Deck featured him in their 1992-93 basketball card set as card number "32A" in the checklist as he shared the position in the set sequence with Doug Christie.

Christie's rookie card #32 could be pulled in high-series packs.

1992 Upper Deck #33B Larry Bird

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75

Like his arch-rival but good friend Magic Johnson, Larry Bird also helped lead the United States Men's Basketball Team to a gold medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the "Dream Team."

However, just nine days after the Olympic Games came to a close, Larry Bird announced his retirement from the NBA on August 18, 1992.

Though he would've loved to keep playing, chronic back problems just wouldn't allow Bird to keep playing at the highest level in the sport.

As they did with Magic Johnson, Upper Deck featured him in their 1992-93 basketball card set as card number "33A" in the checklist despite not playing that year.

Bird shared the number 33 spot with rookie star Jim Jackson out of Ohio State.

1992 Upper Deck #67 Michael Jordan

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75

Michael Jordan first won the MVP Award during the 1987-88 NBA season and no one questioned that he was one of the biggest superstars during the 1980s.

However, he and the Bulls just couldn't get out of the shadow of Magic Johnson and the Lakers, Larry Bird and the Celtics, and Isiah Thomas and the Pistons.

Those guys dominated the 1980s but Jordan's time would come during the 1990s.

Beginning with the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, Jordan would win back-to-back regular season MVP Awards and back-to-back NBA Finals MVP Awards, entering the new decade with a bang.

This card commemorated those achievements by featuring stunning dual-image artwork of "His Airness" in a bright color scheme that realy pops.

Jordan would win four regular-season MVPs and six NBA Finals MVPs during the 1990s, solidifying himself as the king of that decade.

1992 Upper Deck #424 Shaquille O'Neal All-Star

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75

Shaq wasted no time making his presence known to the rest of the NBA and immediately got to work.

In the first week of the 1992-93 NBA season, he became the first player in league history to win Player of the Week honors after his first seven days as a professional.

It only got better from there.

Showcasing unparalleled athleticism for a seven-footer game after game, O'Neal became the first rookie to be voted in as an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985.

Over his Hall of Fame career, Shaq earned a trip to the All-Star Game fifteen times, putting him in a three-way tie with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan for the third-most All-Star selections in NBA history.

1992 Upper Deck #474 Shaquille O'Neal Top Prospects

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75

Shaq finished the season with a double-double average of 23.4 points (on 56.2% shooting) and 13.9 rebounds per game, making his rookie season the first of 13-straight double-double seasons.

He also came out of the blocks on fire as a rim protector, averaging a career-best 3.5 blocks per contest in year one.

With O’Neal taking ownership of the paint, the Magic added 20 wins to their previous season’s total to finish 41-41.

Although they missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with the Indiana Pacers, the sheer presence of the newly-crowned 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year was plenty enough reason for optimism.

After a coaching change and swapping their first pick of the 1993 NBA Draft, Chris Webber, with Golden State in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway, the Magic would be in the playoffs for the first time in team history one year later.

1992 Upper Deck #2 Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $65

After the Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O'Neal with the first pick of the 1992 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets didn't hesitate in taking Alonzo Mourning with the second pick.

After an impressive stint at Georgetown University, the Hornets had high expectations for his professional basketball career.

At just age 22, the rookie big man wasted no time establishing himself as a budding star in the league as he averaged a double-double with 21 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game.

Unfortunately for Mourning, being in the same draft class with one of the greatest big men of all time in O'Neal ultimately landed him a second-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Regardless, this was a player who seemed destined for greatness.

Mourning helped lead a young Charlotte team to the second round of the playoffs and the fans were thrilled about the future of the franchise.

1992 Upper Deck #26 Charles Barkley

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50

Charles Barkley appears on two base cards in this set: this one that features him as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and another with his new team that season, the Phoenix Suns.

During his eight seasons with the Sixers, Barkley averaged 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as he developed a reputation as a controversial player but a top power forward nonetheless.

However, Barkley grew frustrated in Philadelphia and demanded a trade after the team finished 35-47 during the 1991-92 NBA season and missed the playoffs.

Interestingly, the Sixers were initially set to trade Barkley to the Los Angeles Lakers but later pulled out of that deal and sent him to the Phoenix Suns instead.

The imagery on this card is fantastic as Barkley goes up for the score versus a Denver Nuggets defender with the phrase "Traded to Suns" called out on the bottom of the card.

1992 Upper Deck #334 Charles Barkley

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50

In his first season with the Phoenix Suns following a trade from the 76ers, Charles Barkley quickly impressed his new franchise and fans.

His first game with the Suns went exceptionally well as he posted a triple-double leading to a victory, and Phoenix would never look back after the strong start to the season.

The Suns finished the regular season with a league-best 62-20 record and primed for a deep playoff run.

Barkley was the key catalyst in their success, averaging 25.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game and shooting an efficient 52% from the field.

Because of his incredible accomplishments on the court, Barkley was named to his 7th consecutive All-Star team and won his first and only NBA MVP award.

What made the award the most impressive was that his main competition was Michael Jordan.

However, Jordan had the last laugh as Chicago defeated the Suns in the NBA Finals.

Regardless, Barkley’s 1992-1993 performance was arguably the best of his career.

1992 Upper Deck #123 Reggie Miller

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

Though Reggie Miller wasn't really known as a big dunker, Upper Deck featured the legendary sharpshooter throwing one down with authority on this card.

During the 1992-93 NBA season, Miller put up one of the biggest scoring outputs of his Hall of Fame career as he averaged a solid 21.2 points per game.

Miller was known as one of the best free-throw shooters in his era after leading the NBA in free-throw percentage four times but his accuracy dipped in 1992-93 to a .880 percentage, a bit off his career .888 average.

However, Reggie made up for it by raining three-pointers as his 167 shots from downtown were the most in the NBA.

The Indiana Pacers finished with a 41-41 record but the New York Knicks knocked them out 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

The Knicks and Pacers rivalry was one of the most intense during the 1990s, with Miller always being a massive thorn in New York's side.

As proof, he earned the nickname "The Knick Killer" to show for it.

1992 Upper Deck #133 Scottie Pippen

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

Arguably the most famous sidekick in NBA history, Scottie Pippen was as much of a key to the Bulls' success as ever during the 1992-93 season.

Despite playing second fiddle to Michael Jordan for Chicago, Pippen averaged 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while producing 24 double-doubles and four triple-doubles.

While Jordan received most of the praise and limelight, Pippen was gritty in his approach to the game, establishing himself as a lockdown defender as well.

His well-balanced attack was an integral aspect of the Bull's achievements that season as he landed a spot on the All-Star Team for the third time in his career.

During the postseason, Pippen upped his scoring output, posting an impressive 20.1 points per game over nineteen games in the 1993 NBA Playoffs.

The 1993 NBA Finals saw him score over 20 points in four of the six games while turning in one triple-double and three double-doubles in the series.

Had Pippen not stepped up in such a crucial way, there is no guarantee the Bulls would have been able to get past Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns to three-peat as champions.

1992 Upper Deck #136 Hakeem Olajuwon

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

After an incredibly disappointing season for the Rockets in the previous year, center Hakeem Olajuwon reached an even higher level of play that would set the tone for years of dominant performances.

For the 1992-93 NBA season, Olajuwon averaged 26.1 points, 13 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a league-high 4.2 blocks per game.

He would not only lead his team to a 55-27 record with those stats but would also find himself picking up first-team All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year.

In the playoffs, Olajuwon's Rockets faced off against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.

Houston won a surprisingly close five-game series in which Olajuwon had 25 or more points and ten or more rebounds in every game.

Unfortunately, he wasn't as dominant offensively in the next series against the Seattle SuperSonics as he averaged roughly six fewer points per game.

In the deciding Game 7, Kenny "the Jet" Smith missed a crucial game-winner that sent the game into overtime, where a late clutch field goal by Hakeem wouldn't be enough to get the Rockets over the hump.

1992 Upper Deck #242 Dennis Rodman

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

The 1992-1993 season was Dennis Rodman's last with the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons.

While in Detroit, he had established himself as a defensive star who possessed the ability to cover any position on offense from point guard to center.

Already a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winner with an otherwordly rebounding skill set, Rodman was unquestionably a vital asset for Detroit's previous playoff appearances.

Unfortunately, the 1992-1993 campaign would not be so glorious.

While Rodman led the league in rebounds for a second consecutive season with an average of 18.3 per game, Detroit faltered and missed the playoffs altogether.

Rodman dealt with several personal struggles that year, including frustration about coach Chuck Daly retiring before the season.

His personal battles and the team's struggles led Rodman to ask for a trade at the end of the season.

The Pistons agreed and dealt him to the San Antonio Spurs before the 1993-1994 season began.

1992 Upper Deck #3 Christian Laettner Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

With the third overall selection of the 1992-93 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected two-time NCAA champion Christian Laettner out of Duke University.

Despite his success at Duke, Laettner had established a reputation as one of the most unlikeable players in the college game.

Regardless, the Timberwolves were excited to have someone as talented as Laettner on their roster.

While his rookie season was not as dominant as O'Neal's or Mourning's, Laettner still produced solid numbers by averaging 18.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game to make the All-Rookie Team.

In any other season, Laettner may have garnered Rookie of The Year status but with Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning in his draft class, it wasn't going to happen that year.

Though Laettner performed well, the Timberwolves staggered to a dreadful 19-62 record.

1992 Upper Deck Basketball Cards In Review

Clocking in with a 510-card checklist, the 1992 Upper Deck set offered plenty of superstar power, multiple subsets, and some of the most iconic cards of the era.

Key rookie cards for the set included Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner, Latrell Sprewell and Robert Horry.

There were also plenty of great subsets, including:

• NBA Draft Picks (#2 - 21)
• Team Checklists (#35 - 61)
• Scoring Threats (#62 - 66)
• Team Fact Cards (#350 - 376)
• All-Star Games (#421 - 445)
• In Your Face (#446 - 454)
• Top Prospects (#455 - 482)
• Game Faces (#483 - 497)
• Fanimation (#506 - 510)

The imagery, colors, and overall design of the set give it a great visual punch with many memorable cards within the checklist.

I loved this set back then and still do today.

This set brings back so many great memories and nostalgia of an era when card collecting was at such a craze.