(LOT 12)
1984-'85 Star Co. #101 Michael Jordan "True" Rookie Card - BGS 8.5 NM-MT+
MJ ROOKIE CARD!!!... This magnificent BGS 8.5 NM-MT+ 1984-85 Star Co. Michael Jordan offering represents the true rookie card for His Airness. Indeed, the Star Co. issue was released in 1984 AFTER Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls as the number three pick in the first round on June 19, 1984, some two years before Jordan's 1986 Fleer #57 subject was distributed to the general public. The verso of the 1984 Star Jordan does not even present NBA statistics, only including his North Carolina NCAA figures from 1981 through 1984. While Beckett had been encapsulating '84 Star Jordans for quite some time, PSA only recently started grading the '84 Star Jordan in 2022.

That said, there is no more ambiguity as to the which Jordan card resides as his one and only undisputed inaugural issue - the 1984 Star Co. #101 Jordan. Adding to the desirability of this hallowed issue is the significantly lower population numbers versus its 1986 Fleer competitor. At the time this was written, Beckett had graded a substantial 13,246 Jordan '86 Fleer subjects versus only 1,140 '84 Star Co. cards (PSA has encapsulated a whopping 24,660 examples of the '86 Fleer Jordan). The 1984 Star Co. Jordan was issued as part of a Chicago Bulls 12-card team set in a clearly visible sealed plastic bag, with Jordan placed on top, and it is generally assumed that the Star Company issued no more than 5,000 of these Chicago Bulls team packs.

Therefore, the huge population disparity between the 1984 Star versus 1986 Fleer should not be surprising since the 1986 Fleer Jordan subject was part of an abundant mainstream nationwide issue (substantiating the huge population numbers for Jordan's '86 Fleer card). This particular offering reveals brilliant pack-fresh aesthetics, with Beckett's detailed grading system including the following assessments: Centering (8); Edging (9); Corners (8.5); Surface (9.5). Air Jordan's breathtaking image reveals #23 donning his classic Bulls red jersey as he holds the basketball high over his head. Only slightly favoring the left edge, all of the Beckett sub-grades appear to be spot-on, justifying the overall 8.5 assessment that immediately places this MJ heirloom as one of the most significant rookie cards in our illustrious hobby.

In the fall of 1984, Jordan immediately made an imposing impression to his NBA peers, with the sensational shooting guard averaging 28.2 points and 5.9 assists per game, a sure sign of the unparalleled career this all-time great was about to embark on. In 15 seasons, this iconic Jordan would amass over 32,000 points, achieve the highest Points Per Game average ever (30.12), win an unfathomable 10 NBA scoring titles and claim five NBA MVP awards! Yet for all of these extraordinary accomplishments, it was his fierce competitiveness and uncanny ability to thrive in pressure situations that arguably places him as the finest basketball player ever. His legacy in sports is comparable to that of the immortal Babe Ruth, and we cannot imagine a more significant keepsake than this exalted 1984 Star Co. rookie card residing in a BGS 8.5 holder!

MIN BID $7,500
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