Set Description:
The 1996-97 Topps basketball set was issued in two series totaling 222 standard-size cards, although the checklist card from series one (#111) is not considered part of the basic set. Both series cards were issued in 11-card hobby and retail packs carrying a suggested retail price of $1.29. The white-bordered fronts have a full-color action photo with the player's name in gold set against the trail of a moving basketball. Horizontal backs have color head shots with career statistics and information. The checklist card (#111) actually looks more like a premium Finest brand card than a Topps issue. Because it was so much tougher than a normal checklist, it is not considered part of the series one set. Rookie cards include Kobe Bryant, Marcus Camby, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Antoine Walker, among others. Several cards including Shawn Kemp and Damon Stoudamire were used for promotional purposes. The card numbers are identical to the regular issue, but on the front of the card, the Topps logo and the team logo are switched. In addition, Topps released factory sets for both the hobby and retail markets. Each set contained the full 221-card set, 2 of the Season's Best inserts, 1 card from the NBA at 50 parallel and 2 of the Pro File inserts. The hobby factory set also contained one of the 10 autographed cards originally released in the 1996 Topps NBA Stars Reprint Autograph set.
