Topps NBA arrival comes with big splash, big sales and more

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.

Note: Two active eBay auctions as of Friday morning show that the Player Number variations are not limited to the uniform number as previously noted on Topps sellsheets and as seen above. They are also not serial-numbered for this release. This card would have been a 1/1.

First, the head's-up nugget is this -- the Player Number variations that had been previously teased as being "numbered to the player's number" are not serial-numbered like their 2025 Topps MLB counterparts -- and they are apparently not limited to that volume, either, with Day 1 of formal release already showing two LaMelo Ball cards on eBay at the same time. You can see those auctions right here and right here. While they are not as perhaps limited as once thought or planned, they remain rarer finds statistically (one in 5,002 hobby packs -- see the full odds here) and fans should bid accordingly.

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After just one official day of release, there are more than 35,000 auction listings on eBay (click and scroll here) with plenty more to come and that presently includes 14 listings with asking prices of $10,000 or more. (Remember, those are asking prices.) There are dozens more with four-figure prices attached after just one day. That includes this (not a Superfractor) 1/1 V.J. Edgecombe with strong interest so far, though some of that might be bolstered by him not having any certified autograph cards here. (He's a Panini-exclusive signer.)

Superfractor autos figure to be in high demand here once found for big names of the past and present (see the gallery here for a taste of everything) as well as the rarities for names already mentioned -- Flagg being among a number of those bigger asking prices for ink so far. Also among those bigs on eBay right now are Flagg's rarer-seeded insert cards that are statistically rare based on the odds but could appear more plentiful over time. Ultimately, it's still very early to see the big stuff in this one -- and a lot of those elite kinds of finds are likely to be graded before they hit the open market or are still sitting in packs.

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Over on completed auctions (click and scroll) -- which are still unconfirmed sales of course -- are highs for a Black Refractor Wemby, this Edgecombe Black Chrome, a Gold Edgecombe and Flagg ink all around or topping the $2,500 mark after one day on eBay. Other Flagg inserts have topped the $1,000 mark and rarities like Home Court Advantage and other ink have all checked in for $1,000 or more. Like the asking prices, it still early -- and some longer-odds finds still have not surfaced but those will take time given the formats and the spread of boxes around the country and world.

There will be more to come in the coming days and weeks -- but this is just the start for 2025-26 Topps.

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Handy 2025-26 Topps Links
First Buzz Preview: Click here
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order Your Box: Click here

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