Back in the day, nearly every kid I knew was going absolutely crazy trying to get his hands on any Shaq rookie card he could find...
Shaq's popularity was absolutely through the roof!
And how could it not be?
His size and power were unprecedented.
He was breaking backboards in college at LSU and even brought down the entire backboard a couple of times in the NBA.
Shaq was nearly unstoppable...
And it was so fun to watch that dominant Lakers run when he teamed up with Kobe Bryant.
His dominance on the court left a legacy as one of the greatest players of all-time.
There are many different Shaq rookies and inserts and in the following list, well take a look at some of the keys.
Let's jump right in!
1992 Fleer #401
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $85
I really liked this Fleer design when these cards were first released and to this day I still think they have nice eye appeal.
The gold borders were an interesting choice but I especially liked the basketball texture in the players' nameplates.
Look closely at the grey and blue nameplate behind Shaquille O'Neal's name and you'll see what I'm talking about.
While some of Shaq's other rookie cards featured more exciting shots of him dunking the ball, this card makes it clear how imposing Shaq was under the basket.
Imagine trying to defend him as he's posted up like this given all the space he's creating.
1992 Fleer Tony's Pizza #68
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $450
There was also a version of this card that came with Tony's Pizza.
You can see the differences in coloration of the nameplate and the Orlando Magic logo in the lower right has been swapped out with a "Slam Dunk" logo instead.
Below, I've also included a picture of the packaging in which these were distributed.
They're more difficult to find in top grade and can be worth $175 or more in PSA 10 condition.
1992 Hoops #442
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
This is probably my favorite Shaq rookie in terms of actions shots.
While the previous card on this list gives you a look at how hard it was to defend him in the post, this card shows the result of a lot of his post up moves:
Shaq unleashing an incredibly powerful jam over a would-be defender.
When this set was released, I remember everyone was going nuts chasing this card as well as Alonzo Mourning's rookie.
They were both great cards but this one has stood the test of time a bit better and can still be worth around $20 in a PSA 10 holder.
If you're lucky enough to get a BGS 10 pristine grade, then you're looking at even more money.
1992 Hoops Draft Redemption
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $350
Hoops offered collectors a redemption program that same year in the form of a ten-card mini set that included O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and other top draft picks.
Shaq is shown posing in a suit and Magic cap holding up his new Orlando Magic jersey.
1992 Hoops Magic's All-Rookie Team #1
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $275
One of several popular inserts from Shaq's rookie year, the "Magic's All-Rookie Team" included a small sub-set of ten of Magic Johnson's selections as the top rookie talent that year.
There were relatively tough to find and were distributed in Series 2 boxes only.
It's a great-looking card and features a fantastic shot of the big fella throwing down a huge dunk.
1992 SkyBox #382
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
SkyBox was always pushing the envelope when it came to basketball card design and this set was no exception.
However, the lack of any borders always meant this card was susceptible to easily showing wear and tear.
I always felt that SkyBox did a nice job of framing up this monster Shaq dunk but the rest of the card looked a bit scattered.
The Orlando Magic team logo in the lower left, the SkyBox logo in the lower right, and Shaq's name in the mid-upper right...it just seems cluttered.
But, that didn't stop collectors from chasing it.
Like all of his rookie cards back in the day, this one was a must-have.
1992 SkyBox Draft Picks #1
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $160
Whereas the Hoops redemption program gave you about a 1 in 30 pack chance, these SkyBox redemptions were available in roughly 1 in 8 packs.
Therefore, they're not as expensive in top grade but they're still worth around a respectable $50 in PSA 10 condition.
One thing that always struck me as odd about this card was the huge gold nameplate in the upper left portion of the card.
It seems unnecessarily large and could probably be reduced to half its size.
Anyway, this is still an important early Shaq card to own, regardless.
1992 SkyBox Head of the Class
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $2,500
You don't see these come up for sale too often in top grade.
Featuring three of the biggest names of the 1992 draft, this horizontally-designed card is a nice insert to add to any Shaq collection.
O'Neal, Mourning, and Laetner went 1, 2 and 3 in the draft order so this card is a nice tribute to the top picks of 1992.
1992 Stadium Club #247
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Topps Stadium Club were always known for producing cards with terrific photo quality.
However, I always wished they had released this card with a more exciting shot of The Diesel.
We see fellow 1992 draft mate, Tom Gugliotta, behind him and facing the other way so it's difficult to tell what's going on in this photo...Shaq coming down with an offensive or defensive rebound most likely.
Who knows?
There was also a "Members Only" version of this card which was much more limited in production than the base version but really isn't all that more valuable, surprisingly.
They're easily recognizable with the "Members Only" stamp in the upper left and in PSA 10 condition are worth around $35.
1992 Stadium Club Beam Team #21
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $4,000
Next up is Shaq's most valuable and sought after of all his rookie cards.
Technically, it's an insert.
The "Beam Team" subset included some of the biggest stars of the day like Karl Malone, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp and several others.
I remember back then how collectors were going nuts trying to find these.
The Michael Jordan and Shaq Beam Team cards are by far the most popular, with Shaq's being the most expensive overall.
Like the base Stadium Club card, there is also a "Members Only" version of this card that can be worth a bit more in top grade.
1992 Topps #362
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $80
This card gives collectors another great look at just how dominating Shaq was in the paint.
I'm pretty sure that is Timberwolves small forward, Bob McCann, who was around 6'6" desperately trying to defend him.
That's likely why Shaq's eyes are so huge in this image: he's jacked up with excitement and calling for the ball for an easy two points.
Topps also released a "Topps Gold" version of this card, easily noted by the gold foil stamped nameplate at the bottom.
They were not as common and in high grade can be worth around $1,500 or more in PSA 10 condition.
1992 Topps Archives #150
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Shaq was also included in the 1992 Topps Archives set and the card almost has kind of a cartoon feel to it because of that "#1 Draft Pick" graphic swooping upwards on the right side.
You gotta love the image of Shaq throwing down a monster one-handed jam, though.
1992 Ultra #328
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
Shaq's Ultra rookie card features a great, full-color action shot of him trying to score over Sacramento's Duane Causwell.
The marble-colored nameplate and the "Rookie" banner in the upper right corner exhibit great eye appeal without being too flashy.
This is probably one of his best-looking rookie cards overall.
1992 Ultra All-Rookie #7
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175
The first of two Ultra inserts that I'll cover, Shaq's "All-Rookie" card shows the big man crouched over the ball with many copies of the same image behind him.
The design choice is interesting and will test your eyes a bit.
But, overall, this "All-Rookie" insert is a great tribute to Shaq and other rookies that year.
In top grade you can find these for $45 or so.
1992 Ultra Rejectors #4
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $130
The "Rejectors" insert is another one of his early cards that had a cartoon feel to it.
The "Rejectors" series featured several great action shots of players blocking shots.
Shaq's card makes it look like he almost snatched the ball right out of the air rather than swatting it away.
I always thought the shot block logo in the bottom right of the card added a nice design touch.
1992 Upper Deck #1
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $2,000
Arguably the most creative of his rookie cards, the 1992 Upper Deck #1 used three separate images of Shaq to show him dunking from start to finish.
The full-color borders are susceptible to showing wear and tear quite easily so in top grade, these can be worth several hundred dollars.
These cards were short prints so they're relatively more scarce than his other rookie cards.
1992 Upper Deck #1B
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
Upper Deck also had a redemption program called "Trade" that allowed you to send in the redemption card (shown farther below) for this one.
Whereas the regular rookie card was distributed in Series 2, these redemptions were found in Series 1 boxes.
You can easily see the difference between the regular and "Trade" cards, which read "Trade Card" across the top instead of "#1 NBA Draft Pick".
1992 Upper Deck Rookie Standouts #15
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $90
We finish off this list with an insert from Upper Deck that features a fantastic action shot of Shaq dunking one hard against the Miami Heat.
Like all of his full-color cards, the lack of borders make these susceptible to showing wear.
In top grade, you should expect to pay around $90 or more for one of them.
Shaq's Legacy
Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant and overpowering centers that we'll likely ever see.
Over his storied career, Shaq would play with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavs and Boston Celtics.
No matter where he was, he was pretty much unstoppable.
Teams just didn't have an answer for his overpowering strength and size.
The beloved NBA legend would also go on to achieve the following:
- 15x All-Star
- 4x NBA Champion
- 3x NBA Finals MVP
- NBA MVP (1999-00)
- 14x All-NBA
- 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team
- 1992-93 Rookie of the Year
His legacy as one of the NBA's greatest players of all-time and extreme popularity will keep his rookie cards in high demand for a long long time.