Basketball Stars in Weird Uniforms – One-Sheet Collections
The One-Sheet Collections idea is a simple concept with infinite possibilities. Take a single nine-pocket sheet and a reasonable $100 budget, and build a nine-card collection with a unifying theme.
Who doesn’t love seeing an NBA superstar in a uniform he’s not generally associated with? Michael Jordan wrapping up his career with the Washington Wizards might be the most notable example, but I’ve chosen to focus on some of the other forgotten pit stops of future Hall of Famers.
Ahead we’ve selected one card from nine different standouts wearing the uniform of a team you might have forgotten they played for during their career.
1996-97 Finest Refractors #229 Dominique Wilkins ($15.00)
After 12 seasons with the Hawks, Wilkins bounced around at the tail end of his career, playing with the Clippers, Celtics and even spending time in Greece before landing with the Spurs for the 1996-97 season.
The 37-year-old averaged 18.2 points per game on a 20-62 Spurs team that was without an injured David Robinson, and that poor finish earned them the right to pick Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall selection in the 1997 draft.
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1998-99 Fleer Brilliants Shining Stars #12 Scottie Pippen ($8.00)
Pippen spent 11 seasons with the Bulls and four more as a solid secondary option on some good Trail Blazers teams, but in between he played one season with the Rockets, suiting up alongside Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Pippen averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, and the Rockets went 31-19 during the strike-shortened season, but they were ousted by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. He was then traded again that offseason, going to Portland in a deal that sent six players the other way.
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2000-01 Topps Chrome Refractors #58 Patrick Ewing ($15.00)
The face of the Knicks for 15 seasons, Ewing averaged 15.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in his final season in New York. Prior to the 2000-01 campaign, he was traded to the Sonics as part of a massive four-team trade that also included Glen Rice, Horace Grant and multiple first-round picks.
Ewing played in 79 games in his lone season in the Pacific Northwest, averaging 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds playing with Gary Payton, Vin Baker, Rashard Lewis and Ruben Patterson. He walked in free agency during the offseason and played the final year of his career with the Magic.
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2001-02 Topps Xpectations In The Center #IC4 Hakeem Olajuwon ($3.00)
One of the greatest players in NBA history and a fixture at center for the Rockets for 18 seasons, Olajuwon was traded to the Raptors prior to the 2001-02 season in exchange for a first- and second-round pick the following year.
The 39-year-old averaged 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.6 minutes of action per game, sharing center duties with Keon Clark on a team led by Vince Carter. He retired following the 2001-02 season.
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2003-04 Fleer Showcase Legacy #64 Gary Payton /125 ($10.00)
Payton will always be best known for his time with the Sonics, but he also had memorable stints with the Lakers and Celtics before closing out his career in Miami where he won a title playing alongside Dwyane Wade.
The team that often gets lost in the shuffle is the Bucks, who acquired Payton from Seattle at the 2002-03 trade deadline in a deal that sent Ray Allen the other way. He averaged 19.6 points and 7.4 rebounds in 28 games to help Milwaukee make the playoffs, then walked in free agency and went ring hunting with the Lakers.
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2003-04 Ultimate Collection #48 Karl Malone /750 ($10.00)
On July 16, 2003, the Lakers signed free agents Gary Payton and Karl Malone as a pair of veterans chasing a ring late in their careers. While Payton would go on to have several more productive seasons, the 2003-04 campaign was the last of Malone’s storied career.
In his only season playing outside of Utah, The Mailman averaged 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 42 games. The 40-year-old reached the NBA Finals but failed to capture his long-awaited ring as the Pistons won the title in five games.
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2009-10 Crown Royale #40 Shaquille O’Neal ($15.00)
While not the same superstar force he was in his prime, O’Neal was still a presence in the post even late in his career. Following his successful run with the Heat, Shaq spent time with the Suns, Cavaliers and Celtics to close out his career, with his time in Cleveland often forgotten.
In 53 games playing on a team led by LeBron James, Antwan Jamison and Mo Williams, he averaged 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while splitting time down low with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varajeo. The Cavs were ousted by Boston in the second round and Shaq joined the Celtics for his final NBA season the following year.
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2009-10 Panini Threads #59 Allen Iverson ($2.00)
Iverson played three forgettable games for the Grizzlies at the start of the 2009-10 season before stepping away from the team after he was unhappy with his role as a bench player. He averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes during his limited action, and he was waived in mid-November.
He caught on with the 76ers a month later and played the final 25 games of his NBA career back where it started, though he did suit up in Turkey the following year.
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2012-13 Select Prizms #81 Jason Kidd ($15.00)
After 1,304 NBA games with the Nets, Mavericks and Suns, Kidd played the final season of his Hall of Fame career with the Knicks during the 2012-13 campaign after joining the team in free agency.
Playing mostly off the ball for the first time with Raymond Felton handling point guard duties, Kidd averaged 6.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 26.9 minutes of action per night. He retired following that lone season in New York.
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Total: $93.00
