CSG Featured Card of the Month: 1986 Fleer #82 Akeem Olajuwon

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Sport: Basketball

Set: 1986 Fleer

Card: #82 Akeem Olajuwon

What makes it special? This is the rookie card for Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon (who formerly spelled his name Akeem). The Nigerian native played for the Houston Rockets from 1984 to 2001, including NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. He ended his career with the Toronto Raptors in 2002.

Did you know? He was the top overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, which also included Hall of Famers Michael Jordan (drafted third) and Charles Barkley (drafted fifth). We are honoring Olajuwon this month because his birth date was January 21, 1963. With a height of 7 feet, he holds the record for most blocks: 3,830.

Total graded by CSG: CSG has graded 57 examples of this card as of late December 2021.

CSG median grade: CSG 8

CSG highest graded: CSG has certified three as CSG 9 as of late November 2021.

Sales highlights: An example graded CSG 9 realized $700 and an example graded CSG 8.5 realized $271, through separate eBay sales in December 2021. A CSG 7.5 example was listed on eBay in late December for $280 or best offer.

CSG Registry: This card is part of this company set: 1986-87 Fleer, which has nine competitors, including a set by RKgant, who has a nice example graded CSG 8.5.