How To Collect | The Los Angeles Lakers

Tips on Collecting Showtime

Magic. Kobe. Wilt. Kareem. Shaq. LeBron. Luka. In Los Angeles, they know their heroes on a first-name basis. Showtime is not just a nickname, it’s a state of mind. Playing on the brightest stage in all of basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers are more than just a team; they’re a global institution. And there’s only one way to reach that status. Just win, baby.

Key Los Angeles Lakers cards include George Mikan’s 1948 Bowman rookie, Magic Johnson’s 1980 Topps rookie, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1972 Topps, and Kobe Bryant’s 1996 Topps Chrome. LeBron James Lakers cards continue the tradition, making each era a cornerstone for collectors.

17-time Champions, 32-time Finalists. They’ve battled for the Larry O’Brien in over 40% of all Finals ever contested. If you want the glitz, the glamor, the stars, and the hardware — if you want Hollywood — it’s the Lakers.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways to tell the incredible story of the Los Angeles Lakers in The Hobby.

Collecting the Lakers in 2025

The Lakers will of course be a major player in the 2025-26 Topps Basketball landscape. Led by two of the biggest stars in The Hobby, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, collectors of the purple and gold have plenty to chase in the new licensed Topps Basketball releases.

LeBron James is in rarified air in The Hobby, which is hardly a surprise given his unprecedented longevity and incredible list of accomplishments. Starting with 2025-26 Topps Basketball, where the big story is the inclusion of LeBron’s first-ever NBA-licensed Topps autograph cards with the Lakers, there’s plenty of chase cards for collectors of King James and this historic franchise. Also look out for the fantastic Comic Court and Home Court cards from James, and of course, his All Kings insert card.

Luka Doncic made headlines on opening night with a spectacular 43-point performance. Topps NOW commemorated the moment, in which Doncic joined Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers with at least 40 points on opening night.

The great Magic Johnson also appears in 2025-26 Topps Basketball, including two chase-worthy auto cards: Flagship Real One, and as part of the throwback 1980/81 Topps Basketball insert.

Emerging star Austin Reaves is another great addition to a Lakers collection. In addition to base, parallel, and variation cards, look for Reaves in Topps Notch Signatures and 8-Bit Ballers. The Lakers will always be a force in The Hobby, and collectors can get ready for a fantastic year of chasing the team, its legends, and its stars.

The Lakers Mount Rushmore

The Lakers are the franchise with the strongest argument that their very own Mount Rushmore could just about be the league’s Mount Rushmore itself. Consider this: Our choices here combined for 20 titles and 11 MVPs — and we didn’t even have room for Wilt Chamberlain.

1980 Topps Basketball Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson

1996 Topps Chrome Basketball #138 Kobe Bryant RC

1979 Topps Basketball #10 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

2003/04 Topps Chrome Basketball #34 Shaquille O’Neal Gold Refractor /99

Lakers Champs Through the Ages

While the Lakers have had three all-time great dynasties, this organization had to work harder than any to get to the mountaintop after the move to La-La-Land. From 1092 to 1970, Los Angeles lost in the Finals seven times, including three classic seven-game series. But, at last, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain led L.A. to the 1972 Championship over the New York Knicks. 

Wilt joined the Lakers in 1968, and his battles with Boston’s Bill Russell became some of the most legendary moments in the history of the game. In 1969, he led off the iconic “Tall Boys” Topps Basketball set with his first Topps Lakers card, which has sold for as much as $276,000.

Chamberlain’s 1972 Topps Basketball card celebrating the Lakers’ title is an affordable Wilt card that captures the achievement the franchise worked so long to achieve.

The Showtime era had the Lakers playing some of the most beautiful and bold basketball of all-time. In the ’80s, Los Angeles won five rings and played in eight finals. While Magic and Kareem led the way, James Worthy and Michael Cooper are great additions to any PC.

This 1972 Topps card features Kareem being guarded by Wilt, and it’s a fun way to bridge the eras.

The duo of Shaq & Kobe, while it lasted, was unstoppable, and both are legends in The Hobby. This famous Kobe Bryant Topps offering, in which he’s guarded by LeBron, is an incredible passing-the-torch card to chase.

The last team in league history to three-peat, Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers also featured memorable characters like clutch shot-makers Robert Horry and Derrick Fisher, and the Hollywood-handsome Rick Fox. While you’re celebrating the dynasty, why not add a card of the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, who was a champion as a player with the Knicks?

Fan-Favorite Lakers

Mr. Clutch, The Logo. Zeke from Cabin Creek. Jerry West was the first Lakers superstar after the team moved to Los Angeles. A phenomenal two-way talent, he was a scoring champion and a four-time First-Team All-Defensive player.

In addition to his incredible playing career, West also helped build the Lakers success as a coach and executive. One of his most coveted cards is found in the iconic 1969 “Tall Boys” set from Topps. 

The Lakers Before L.A.

The first dynasty in history, the Minneapolis Lakers won five of six titles from 1949-1954. The year before the run began, Bowman released the first-ever basketball trading card set. 1948 Bowman Basketball’s most valuable card belongs to Lakers legend George Mikan, the big man who guided Minneapolis through its dynasty.

In May 2025, a PSA 5.5 sold for just over $11,000. 

Another fun Mikan card is his 1951 Wheaties. Some collectors have even sought out the Mikan Wheaties box itself. It may have been in a different city, but the Lakers’ tradition of dominant big men started from the get-go.

LeBron James & the New Era

LeBron James took his talents to Hollywood in 2018 and won his fourth title with the Lakers in 2020. On top of that, Los Angeles has seen King James achieve all kinds of historical milestones. On February 7, 2023, James surpassed fellow Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored in league history.

This Topps NOW card celebrates LeBron’s unprecedented longevity as he passed the 50,000 point mark.

Capturing History Your Way

With LeBron now joined by generational talent Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, the future is bright for the Lakers. It’s a franchise with a history as great as any in American sports, and there’s so much more to come.

The Lakers offer collectors an amazing opportunity to build a phenomenal team collection.

Collecting Los Angeles Lakers Cards FAQs

• What are the most valuable Los Angeles Lakers cards?
  • The most valuable Lakers cards include George Mikan’s 1948 Bowman rookie, Magic Johnson’s 1980 Topps shared rookie, and Kobe Bryant’s 1996 Topps Chrome. Condition and grading heavily affect value.
• What is the earliest key Los Angeles Lakers card?
  • The earliest key Lakers card is George Mikan’s 1948 Bowman rookie. It is considered the foundation of Lakers collecting and one of the most important vintage basketball cards in hobby history.
• Which Magic Johnson card is most iconic for collectors?
  • Magic Johnson’s 1980 Topps rookie, shared with Larry Bird and Julius Erving, is one of the most iconic and valuable basketball cards ever printed, marking the start of the Showtime Lakers era.
• Why is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar important in Lakers collecting?
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1972 Topps card, issued under the name Lew Alcindor, is a must-have. His dominance with the Showtime Lakers adds historical and collector value to his Topps-era cards.
• What makes Kobe Bryant cards so collectible?
  • Kobe Bryant’s 1996 Topps Chrome rookie is a modern cornerstone. Collectors also chase parallels and championship-era Topps issues, which reflect his five titles and lasting influence on Lakers history.
• How do LeBron James cards fit into Lakers collecting?
  • LeBron James’ Lakers-era cards, especially from his championship run, have become essential additions for collectors. They represent the continuation of the Lakers’ tradition in the modern Hobby.

Key Facts

• George Mikan’s 1948 Bowman rookie anchors Lakers vintage collecting
• 1980 Topps Magic Johnson / Larry Bird rookie is a Showtime-era centerpiece
• 1972 Topps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar card highlights his early Lakers dominance
• 1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant rookie defines modern Lakers collecting
• LeBron James Lakers-era cards add a new chapter to the franchise’s hobby history
• Team and championship subset cards offer affordable entry points for collectors

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