30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Cheap Cool Cards #20: 1992-93 UD Bird/Magic Retire

Damn... I feel old. Has it really been twenty years since Magic Johnson made his public announcement that he'd be retiring from the NBA? It seems like yesterday... okay, maybe not yesterday. But it definitely doesn't feel like twenty years have passed.

All I can say is that Magic and the Showtime Lakers were a huge reason I loved basketball during my youth... and I remember how bummed I was to hear that he had contracted the HIV virus.

A year later... Magic's biggest rival, Larry Bird, also announced his retirement. The two of them are often credited with reviving the sport and having one of the biggest player rivalries in NBA history.

Upper Deck produced a special commemorative card for their 1992-93 basketball product that honored these two basketball legends:


According to Beckett, the card is worth between $1.25 and $3. It was inserted into series one packs at a rate of 1:72 packs (or 1:2 boxes). Realistically, the card itself is essentially worthless and can probably be found in dime bins if you look hard enough. I picked up mine on COMC's a while back for $.25.

But do yourself a favor and take two seconds to look over this card. I mean... isn't it awesome? It celebrates the retirement of two Hall of Famers, who are often considered to be the greatest of their generation. I don't know about you... but I think it's one helluva Cheap Cool Card.

Alright... it's time to draw the line and take a stand.

What are you... a Magic Man or a Bird Backer?

If you're a regular reader of this blog, then you know that I didn't have to blink to come up with my choice... I grew up supporting Magic and his trademark smile. Congratulations Earvin... Here's to twenty more years!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone... only two more days until the much needed... three day weekend. Sayonara!

NaBlo WriMo Daily Total: 316 Words
November Total: 2,289 Words

6 comments:

Play at the Plate said...

Bird man! It all tracks back to my dad who I watched those great Celtics/Lakers Series with. He backed the green so I did too.

Mike said...

When I was much younger it was strictly the Magis Man. As I get older I have a great respect for both of them and what they have contributed to basketball (my favorite sport). I watch any old LA or Boston game on ESPN classic or the NBA channel. When the Game Was Ours is a great book. Makes me want to cry when I see what Wade and Lebron did.

SpastikMooss said...

If you've read my comments before you know my answer too haha, Bird all the way. Magic seemed like a cool guy though, much easier to like than Kobe (though part of that might be the fact that I was 7 when Magic retired!)

John Bateman said...

A Bird Man but one would not be the same withhout the other

Mark Zentkovich said...

Dr J actually..so ended up rooting against bird alot

it sure was fun staying up until midnight est to watch magic play that clincher in the finals..I thought it was cool to stay up late as a boy to see history..

markz

Jeff Laws said...

Bird here. Born and bred in Indiana so it was a natural choice.