1986 Fleer #53 Magic Johnson PSA 10: What Collectors Need to Know
Magic Johnson, quite simply, is one of the best players to ever lace up his basketball shoes. Known for his time with the “Showtime” Lakers, Johnson’s personality was just as vibrant as his game.
Both during his career and after, Johnson has remained a celebrity larger than life. During his playing days, it was his smile that could absolutely light up a room.
After retiring at age 36, Johnson has gone on to do several things. He has remained very present around the Lakers franchise, as he has had stints as both the head coach and in the front office.
He is also a part-owner of the Dodgers and is often around for a comment or soundbite on the Lakers, whether good or bad.
Let’s get into specifics about this card, and what made Magic so special as a player.
The Player
Earvin “Magic” Johnson had one of the most illustrious careers the NBA has ever seen. He is a 12x All-Star, 3x MVP, 5x Finals Champion, and 5x Finals MVP.
He is also the only NBA player in history to win Finals MVP as a rookie. In his rookie year, during the finals, he famously started a must-win game at center. In game 6 of the 1980 finals, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was unable to play, so Johnson played center in his breakout game.
Further, Magic holds the record for most NBA playoff triple-doubles with 30. He also has the most playoff assists in NBA history with 2,346 and is one of just 4 players to win the NCAA championship and NBA championship in consecutive years.
As a whole, Magic had a 13-year NBA career for the Lakers. During his era, they averaged 59 wins per game, encapsulating what Magic was all about - winning.
He simply won at every level. He won at Michigan State. He won with the Lakers. And he won gold with Team USA at the Olympics.
The Card
The 1986 Fleer set is definitely a famous one.
This set marked Fleer’s return to the hobby after a 25-year break - it is also considered to be the beginning of the modern era of basketball cards.
This set is widely known to have many key rookie cards in it because it was the first nationally distributed set since the 1981 Topps set.
Of course, the main reason it is so famous is that it contains the key Michael Jordan rookie card and sticker.
The popularity of this set as a whole, along with the design of the set, makes this one of Magic Johnson’s most popular non-rookie cards.
The card, a PSA 10 POP 176, displays Johnson going up for a classic, tricky layup for the Boston Celtics.
Ultimately, just like Magic the player and person, this is a very special card. Buy this card on Dibbs starting Thursday, May 5th!
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Get started collecting your favorite basketball cards, like this 1986 Fleer #53 Magic Johnson PSA 10!
