It's a new era -- or at least the return of one -- as Topps' first NBA release under its new deal with the league license dropped this week with the arrival of 2025-26 Topps.

It's the first Topps release since its abbreviated 2009-10 campaign when Panini America took over the league license on an exclusive basis, ending a non-exclusive Topps run that had began in 1992-93. Before that, Topps NBA cardboard happened for a 1957-58 set and then continuously from the 1969-70 edition to the 1981-82 release before it bowed out. While there have been plenty of stops and starts for basketball and a number of players on the cardboard court, this run appears to be a long-term deal as Fanatics is amassing licenses with the major leagues when it comes to collecting -- MLB and the NBA now as well as the NFL beginning next year. So far, big rollouts have included NBA Debut patches worn by rookies in their first games as well as gold Logoman patches for award-winners to go from their unis and later into cardboard -- but both of those are too new to be an in-pack reality for this release.

The company's slogan for its turn with the ball is "it's our game now" -- as subtle as a Shaquille O'Neal rebounding elbow -- but the people are, so far, showing that it's their game and their cardboard world -- and Topps is living in it (while making their cardboard). The auction action is heavy after just one day with big asking prices, big pulls, some big sales and some big demand for some names from this release with a big print run that's helping make sure everybody gets a little piece of the action if they want some.

There have been release parties with VIP guest appearances, corporate SWAG and other prizes -- all one would and should expect for a new-license rollout -- and there's also been a little bit of cardboard controversy so far, too, that's really just more of a head's up scenario for collectors to know about more than anything truly salacious as people tear into packs looking for the first Lakers autographs of LeBron James (he had been an Upper Deck exclusive with no NBA-licensed ink since it bowed out with the Panini deal), the first Spurs autographs of Victor Wembanyama and, of course, the new No. 1 pick on the box, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.

Keep reading for that and a look at some of the big finds so far.

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