(LOT 614)
1948 Bowman #69 George Mikan Rookie SGC 96 MINT 9
HOLY GRAIL OF BASKETBALL CARDS!!!... This Basketball Card was issued in 1948 by The Bowman Company and is GEORGE MIKAN'S Rookie card. The card is the key to the earliest basketball-only set in sports card history, a one year offering that features the legendary Mikan as its unquestioned centerpiece. Often described as the "T206 Honus Wagner of basketball cards," the Mikan card was printed in Bowman's more scarce second series, enhancing its value as not just the rookie card of a pioneering Hall of Famer, but also as a true sports card rarity. How scarce is a high-grade card of this Hall of Famer? Out of 76 cards graded by SGC, this is the one and only SGC 96 MINT example with nothing grading higher.

Collectors will recall that a PSA Mint 9 example sold for over $52,000 in 2008. This card was recently rated as one of the top 20 sports trading cards ever created. The 1948 Bowman basketball set was the first set Bowman Sports cards produced in color and represents the last mainstream basketball card set until Topps first dipped its toes in the water in 1957-58. It is the only basketball set Bowman would produce before going out of the sports trading card business in 1955. Mikan's impact on the game of basketball can't be overstated. The story of his climb from gangly youngster to Pro Basketball Hall of Famer is remarkable. He stood over six feet tall at age 11 and endured taunting from classmates who saw him as a freak.

Turned down by high school coaches and by Notre Dame, the Illinois native finally found a home at DePaul University where legendary coach Ray Meyer helped mold him into a 3 time All-American. After a year with the short-lived Chicago Gears professional team, Mikan landed in Minneapolis where he would lead the Lakers to 5 Basketball Association of America titles in 6 years, averaging 23 points a game. He was the games first dominant big man at 6'10" tall. He was by all accounts, the Babe Ruth of basketball. Mikan later became the 1st commissioner of the ABA and helped bring the Minnesota Timberwolves into the NBA in the 1980's. Not long after that, he received the ultimate honor by being named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of All Time.

This 1948 Bowman basketball card is simply one of the finest examples of a Mikan Rookie to ever hit the open market. Mikan appears on so few sports collectibles, anything dating from his days as a player is very much in demand. His rookie card is at the top of the list and a rookie card of this nature stands as the ultimate target for the most serious collectors. Measuring the standard Bowman size of 2 1/16" x 2 1/2", the card features Mikan's biography on the back. Nice centering, sharp corners and brilliant color highlight this MINT 9 example. This is your shot at one of the most important cards in the sports card industry.

MIN BID $12,500