CSG Spotlights Jordan Rookie Card in Anticipation of the Chicago Sports Spectacular

Instantly recognizable, the 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card is considered by many to be the hobby’s most important modern sports card. In anticipation of the Chicago Sports Spectacular, let’s look at an example recently graded by Certified Sports Guaranty® (CSG™).

If you’re attending the Chicago Sports Spectacular, CSG will be there accepting submissions, answering questions and handing out CSG swag. For more information, click here.

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This 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card received a CSG Mint 9, with sub-grades of 9.5 for Centering, 9 for Corners, 9 for Edges and 8.5 for Surface. The front shows Jordan soaring above the court, arm extended and ball in hand, wearing the classic red Bulls jersey with the “Chicago” script design. The back is simple, featuring two years of stats.

In his 15 seasons, Jordan scored 32,292 points — fifth on the all-time list — averaging 30.12 points per game in only 1,072 games. He had several nicknames during his career, including “Air Jordan” and “His Airness,” along with several others that reflected his gravity defying moves.

When he retired, Jordan was a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, six-time NBA Champion, including six NBA Finals MVP awards, 14-time All-Star and 10-time Scoring Champion. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, and in 2016, Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barak Obama.

Interestingly, the first major set release of Jordan’s career was not considered a commercial success. Many boxes never sold at the time and sat unopened for years. That is not the case any longer as the value of this card has skyrocketed. Because there are many Jordan rookie available, however, condition is key when considering whether to add a particular card to your collection.

Due to the widely publicized high prices realized for Jordan rookie cards, there are also many counterfeit and altered cards in the market. All CSG-certified cards are guaranteed to be genuine and accurately graded, protecting the integrity of your collection.