December 4, 2024:
2001-02 Topps Stadium Club #85 Hakeem Olajuwon
Not a ton of fancy foil here, no serial numbering, not even an autograph on a couple square centimeters of sweat sock. Just a great photo of two first-ballot Hall-of-Famers playing physical basketball under the rim. Duncan was a featured card on last year's calendar, and he sneaks in this year as well, with a much more familiar haircut.
Basketball cards are kind of an unheralded haven for memorable photography. In most other sports, it's highly unlikely that two ultra-superstars are going to appear in the same action shot. In football you have the chance for a star linebacker pursuing an All-Pro quarterback, but those moments are rare. How about baseball? Cy Young pitcher versus a home run champ happens every so often, but you're probably not getting them on the same card. And if you did, it would look like the center field camera of a typical television broadcast, not the most aesthetically pleasing image for a card. The closeness of basketball, plus the way all players are asked to fill an offensive and defensive role during the course of play, makes such pairings more likely.
Nice card. Second place so far behind the Alvarez auto.
ReplyDeleteAwesome photo. I sold off part of my collection back in 2001 and was on a break from the hobby... so I totally missed this card when it came out.
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