15 Most Valuable 1993 Fleer Basketball Cards

1993 Fleer #28 Michael Jordan

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $85

Nobody would deny Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls a third-straight NBA championship during the 1993 NBA Finals.

But that didn't mean it would be easy.

After sweeping the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bulls met their heated rivals, the New York Knicks, in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals.

Things started rocky for Chicago as they dropped the first two games at Madison Square Garden.

Yet, Jordan and the Bulls soon found another gear, winning the next four to head for an MBA Finals showdown against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns.

Led by their newly-acquired 1992-93 NBA MVP power forward, Charles Barkley, the Suns looked to put the final touch on a season that saw them finish with the best regular season at 62-20.

Michael Jordan had different plans.

At no point in the series did he score fewer than 31 points in a game.

The Suns simply had no answer for Jordan's relentless scoring onslaught.

Jordan and the Bulls had sealed their third-straight NBA title, becoming the first team since the Boston Celtics to do so when they won eight in a row from 1959-1966.

Yet there would be no pursuit for a fourth-straight title as Jordan would soon retire and opt to pursue a professional baseball career instead.

1993 Fleer #224 Michael Jordan

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $70

The "League Leaders" subset featured eight of the NBA's top players in different offensive and defensive categories from the 1992-93 season.

Yet Michael Jordan was the only one of the eight players to be honored with leading the NBA in two categories: scoring and steals.

No one was surprised to see him as the leading scorer.

And only some were slightly surprised to see him lead the league in steals with 2.83 steals per game that year.

After all, he'd led the NBA in steals twice before, reminding everyone he was just as lethal on defense as on offense.

Yet, this card mainly highlighted that Jordan had not only led the league in scoring in the 1992-93 season but that it was the seventh season in a row he did so.

That tied him with Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive scoring titles.

Jordan had also surpassed the 20,000-point mark during the season in just 620 career games, the fewest needed since Chamberlain crossed the milestone in an unbelievable 499 games.

1993 Fleer #260 Toni Kukoc Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50

After impressing Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause with his success playing professional basketball in Europe, the Chicago Bulls selected Toni Kukoc as the 29th pick in the 1990 NBA Draft.

The 6'11" Kukoc continued to play in Europe through 1993, refining his skills as a scoring and passing threat with incredible court vision for someone of his size.

And then, as Michael Jordan retired and left the Chicago Bulls, Kukoc was called to make his NBA debut ahead of the 1993-94 season.

No one expected Kukoc to replace the enormous gap that Jordan had left, but still, hopes were high that he could help pick up some of the slack.

It was an impressive rookie year for the versatile Croatian native, who recorded averages of 10.9 points, 3.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, good enough to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team.

Kukoc's impressive season was one of the many welcome surprises for a Bulls roster that many analysts predicted wouldn't make the playoffs.

Yet, at 55-27, they easily made postseason play a reality.

Despite everyone playing to their standard and an outstanding performance by MVP candidate Scottie Pippen, the Bulls fell to the New York Knicks 87-77 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

1993 Fleer #64 Dennis Rodman

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

Though he had seen quite a bit of success as one of the Detroit Pistons' infamous "Bad Boys," Dennis Rodman was unhappy and ready for a new start ahead of the 1993-94 NBA season.

So, with three years left on his deal, the Pistons agreed to trade him to the San Antonio Spurs.

Rodman had a reputation for being unpredictable, so no one knew how he would fit in with the Spurs organization.

Despite his antics and various distractions off the court, Rodman played as hard as ever while in a San Antonio uniform.

As a result, the Spurs featured one of the best frontcourts in the NBA, with Rodman at power forward alongside superstar center David Robinson.

Rodman posted a league-leading 17.3 rebounds per game but remained a below-average scoring threat with just 4.7 points per game.

All season long, Rodman was a vital part of the Spurs' success and helped lead them to a postseason appearance, where they ultimately lost to the Utah Jazz in the First Round.

1993 Fleer #79 Hakeem Olajuwon

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

The 1993-1994 campaign was arguably the greatest in the history of the Houston Rockets organization.

Led by MVP Hakeem Olajuwon, the team rolled to a 58-24 record before eventually defeating Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks in a tough seven-game NBA Finals.

Finally, the legendary big man and the Rockets had their first championship ring in franchise history.

Olajuwon was nothing short of fantastic during the season, as the Hall of Famer averaged 27.3 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game, and 3.7 blocks per game.

In addition to winning a championship and earning both the Finals and regular season MVP, Olajuwon was also selected to his ninth All-Star team and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

It was arguably one of the greatest seasons for any center in the history of the NBA.

Some may wonder if the Rockets' fate would have been any different had Michael Jordan not opted to retire before the season.

But there's also no guarantee Jordan and the Bulls would've made it to the NBA Finals anyway.

In the end, it doesn't matter.

Olajuwon and the Rockets earned a much-deserved NBA title.

And nobody knew it at the time, but they'd get another one the following season.

1993 Fleer #163 Charles Barkley

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

The reigning league MVP and one of the few foes that took it to Michael Jordan in an NBA Finals environment, Charles Barkley's quest for a first championship hit high gear in 1993-94.

After falling to Chicago in six in the league's previous Finals showcase, the Phoenix Suns saw Jordan's absence as an opportunity.

And despite Barkley missing 17 games due to injury, the 56-win Suns were on the shortlist of favorites to dethrone the three-peat Bulls.

A Second-Team All-NBA selection and eight-time All-Star, Barkley averaged a double-double (21.6 points, 11.2 rebounds) for the ninth straight year.

After a three-game sweep of Golden State in the first round of the playoffs that saw Barkley drop 56 in Game 1 and average 37.3 points for the series, the Suns prepared for a determined Rockets squad.

Phoenix staked themselves to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven clash before losing the next three.

Barkley's fifth double-double of the series (18 points, 15 rebounds) keyed a Game 6 triumph.

But, the Suns ran out of gas as Hakeem Olajuwon posted 37 points and 17 points to push Houston to a Game 7 clincher, 104-94.

And just like that, another golden title chance for Barkley glimmered and faded away.

1993 Fleer #378 Dennis Rodman

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

While Rodman had a reputation as a bit of a wildcard throughout his career, his days in Detroit weren't as wild compared to his later years.

Before the 1993-94 season, Rodman lost a mentor in Chuck Daly when he resigned as head coach of the Pistons.

And later, Rodman and his wife divorced.

It was a dark time for Rodman, leading to him nearly committing suicide.

Fortunately, Rodman regrouped to get his life back together and requested the trade that ultimately sent him to the Spurs.

But in San Antonio, he was more wild and reckless than before.

That behavior change was noticeable when Rodman began dying his hair in wild styles, questioning authority, and headbutting opposing players.

So, it's interesting to see the contrast between the two cards in this set.

On his Pistons card, Rodman is shown in an arguably more serious light.

While on this card, you can see his newly-dyed hair and carefree demeanor as he clutches the ball with a huge smile on his face.

1993 Fleer #149 Shaquille O'Neal

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35

During the 1993-94 NBA season, Shaquille O'Neal moved from All-Star to superstar level for the Orlando Magic.

Shaq averaged 29.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks to earn a spot on the All-NBA Third Team in just his second season.

Stats like those helped Shaq and rookie teammate Penny Hardaway lead the Magic into the NBA playoffs with a fourth seed.

Unfortunately for Shaq and the rest of the young Orlando Magic squad, his first-round matchup was against Pacer's superstar Reggie Miller and a host of skilled veterans.

It was a series that could have gone either way had Shaq not struggled greatly by his regular-season standards on the offensive end, averaging only 20.7 points.

Shaq's weakness as a free throw shooter ultimately decided the series' first two games, which were each decided by three points or less.

Throughout his career, that weakness at the free throw line would continue to be the constant Achilles heel of the otherwise invincible big man.

However, he'd soon reach levels of domination so significant that issues at the free throw line wouldn't be enough to deter him from championship-level success.

1993 Fleer #32 Scottie Pippen

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

Yes, the Bulls were unable to turn a three-peat into a four-peat in Michael Jordan’s absence.

But, the 1993-94 NBA season was still arguably a success for a 55-win Bulls team left reeling by his sudden departure.

Credit Scottie Pippen for transitioning from sidekick to top dog with a seamless mixture of grace, performance, and competitive drive.

Pippen finished the 1993-94 season with career highs in points per game (22.0) and rebounds per game (8.7), and also finished second in the NBA with 2.9 steals per contest.

With Jordan around, Pippen did everything and anything asked of him.

With Jordan gone, Pippen did the same and did it with the spotlight directly on him.

Whenever the Bulls needed a stop, a board, or a pressure shot, they called on their four-time All-Star to make it happen.

In the postseason, it was more of the same.

Pippen led the team in scoring (22.8 ppg), assists (4.6 apg), and rebounding (8.3 rpg), and pushed the Bulls to a deciding seventh game against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Reigning champions no more, the disappointment of a championship miss in Chicago was tempered by Pippen’s admirable performance all year.

1993 Fleer #229 Charles Barkley

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

After eight fantastic seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Charles Barkley had become impatient with the lack of playoff success.

So, he demanded a trade after the 1991-92 season.

Initially, Philadelphia traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers but soon retracted the offer and sent him to the Phoenix Suns instead.

Barkley fit right in with the Suns, who had a lineup loaded with great players like Kevin Johnson, Tom Chambers, Dan Majerle, and Cedric Ceballos.

During his first season with the Suns, Barkley averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and a career-high 5.1 assists per game to lead the team to the best record in the NBA at 62-20.

For his efforts, Barkley earned the only MVP Award of his Hall of Fame career.

As a result, Fleer included him in their four-card "Award Winners" subset that also featured Hakeem Olajuwon (Defensive Player of the Year), Shaquille O'Neal (Rookie of the Year), and Cliff Robinson (Sixth Man).

1993 Fleer #292 Chris Webber Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

After dipping from 55 wins to 34 wins in 1992-93, the Warriors needed a youthful spark to secure their third playoff appearance in four years.

Enter Webber, a complete package and a ready-made NBA star.

From whistle to whistle, the 20-year-old power forward was electric.

Webber was so much more than just a post scorer when he was let loose.

Ahead of his time, he was a masterful facilitator and fantastic dribbler both in transition and traffic.

The only thing that seemed to hold him back was his beef with head coach Don Nelson.

Nelson wanted Webber to shift from forward to center, tailoring his game to a traditional big man mold.

Webber felt stifled by such a limited role, and arguments ensued.

At least for year one, though, the conflict between Webber and Nelson wasn't enough to derail Golden State's momentum.

The 1993-94 NBA Rookie of the Year, Webber averaged nearly a double-double (17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds) while posting the best field-goal percentage (.552) of his 15-year NBA career.

Golden State was ousted in a three-game first-round sweep by the Phoenix Suns, wasting Webber's near triple-double effort (15.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 9.0 assists).

1993 Fleer #343 Anfernee Hardaway Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway was drafted out of Memphis by the Golden State Warriors with the third overall selection in the 1993 NBA draft.

But the team decided they would rather have Chris Webber, the first overall pick, instead.

So, the Warriors agreed to trade Hardaway and three future first-round picks to the Orlando Magic to acquire Webber in one of the biggest draft night stunners in league history.

The Magic were highly pleased with the deal, as the duo of Shaq and Penny would be lethal for years to come.

Hardaway spent the first half of the season as a shooting guard, then transitioned to point guard in the second half, where he would remain for the next few seasons.

The combination of Shaq and Hardaway proved difficult for opposing defenses to stop and Orlando cruised to a 50-32 record and second-place finish in the Atlantic Division.

Unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers brought their promising season to a crash with a three-game sweep in the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs.

Penny posted impressive numbers on the season, averaging 16 points per game, 6.6 assists per game, and 2.3 steals per game.

However, Hardaway fell short of winning the Rookie of the Year Award, as the honor went to Webber.

1993 Fleer #85 Reggie Miller

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

There were many incredible and memorable NBA playoff battles throughout the 1990s, with the showdowns between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks ranking among the top.

The two teams couldn't stand each other, leading to many heated moments still replayed on highlight reels today.

And Reggie Miller was always right there in the middle of the action.

As the Pacers' top scoring threat, he was a constant target for the Knicks' vicious defensive schemes.

Yet, as great scorers do, Miller would still find a way to put points on the board.

And one of his best performances came when the Pacers needed him the most during a critical Game 5 at Madison Square Garden with the series tied at 2-2.

Miller was decent for the first three quarters but took things to another level in the fourth, scoring 25 of his eye-popping 39 points in that quarter alone.

Miller's huge night helped lift the Pacers to a seven-point victory to take the 3-2 lead in the series.

However, the Knicks and Lee had the last laugh, winning the next two to go on to face the eventual champion Houston Rockets in the 1994 NBA Finals.

1993 Fleer #141 Patrick Ewing

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

As the leader of the New York Knicks, Patrick Ewing was happier than anyone when they clinched a close four-point victory against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.

And it couldn't have been sweeter to do it anywhere else than at home in front of the Knicks faithful at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks hadn't been to the NBA Finals since 1973, when they used a lineup stacked with future Hall of Famers to win the NBA Championship that season.

Now, it was Patrick Ewings' turn to bring championship glory back to New York.

And the Hall of Fame big man certainly did his part to help win it all, averaging just under 19 points and just over 12 rebounds per game in the Finals.

Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets and their own Hall of Fame big man, Hakeem Olajuwon, were just a bit better that series, winning a close Game 7 at home by six points to win the title.

It was a devastating blow for the Knicks and, especially, Ewing.

The Knicks would make it back to the NBA Finals in 1999, but Ewing wouldn't join them as he was forced out with an achilles tendon injury.

1993 Fleer #196 David Robinson

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

With Patrick Ewing missing the 1999 NBA Finals because of his Achilles tendon issue, the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs couldn't have been in a better position to capitalize on his absence.

As if having to deal with Hall of Fame center David Robinson without Ewing wasn't enough of a nightmare, the Spurs also had a young Tim Duncan, arguably the best power forward in history.

The Knicks relied on Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell to counteract San Antonio's dominating presence in the paint to score from the outside.

But San Antonio was simply overpowering.

While most of the action down low centered around Duncan, Robinson played incredibly well, too.

For his part, Robinson averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in his role as part of San Antonio's two-headed monster down low.

After winning the first two at home, San Antonio dropped the next game at Madison Square Garden.

And after winning Game 4 at home to take a 3-1 series lead, the Spurs sealed off their first NBA Championship in franchise history with a 78-77 nail-biting win on the road at Madison Square Garden.

1993 Fleer Basketball Cards In Review

This set features rookie cards of plenty of great players of the era.

Guys like Jamal Mashburn, Vin Baker, Allan Houston, Sam Cassell, Nick Van Exel, and Anfernee Hardaway had incredible careers but didn't quite turn into Hall of Famers.

Only two players with rookie cards in this set, Chris Webber and Toni Kukoc, became eventual Hall of Famers.

So, it's no surprise that you don't see a lot of rookie cards on this list besides Webber and Kukoc, as well as Hardaway, because of how popular he was during his early days.

Most of the cards on this list are other Hall of Famers who were part of the 1992 Olympic "Dream Team" that won gold in Barcelona.

Because that team and those guys were so great, that makes this set’s 400-card checklist pretty enjoyable.

The design of the cards is decent, too, and was flashy, yet still conservative, as many Fleer sets tended to be.

There were several different subsets in the checklist, including:

• League Leaders (#221 - 228)
• Award Winners (#229 - 232)
• Pro Visions (#233 - 237)
• Checklists (#238 - 240; #399 - 400)

The iconic Fleer sets of the 1980s unquestionably overshadow the 1993 Fleer set.

Competing with them for attention is nearly impossible.

Yet, as overlooked as it is, I still really enjoy the design and star-studded checklist.