Celebrate the Next Chapter in Topps Basketball
For the first time since the 2009-10 season, Topps Basketball is making its fully licensed return. To mark such a milestone, the company needed a cover athlete who could embody both the brand’s history and the game’s future. That athlete is Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and one of the most decorated freshmen in college basketball history.
Topps Basketball returns fully licensed for 2025-26 with Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg on the cover. The choice celebrates a generational prospect and signals Topps’ long-term commitment to the NBA. The design team pursued a clean, Mavericks-forward look so the flagship box feels iconic on shelves and memorable in collections.
The No. 1 Choice
Flagg arrives in the league with a résumé that speaks for itself. At Duke, he became only the fourth freshman ever to win the prestigious Naismith Player of the Year award, joining a legendary group that includes Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Davis. His dominance in the college ranks and his high draft selection made him the clear face of the next generation. For Topps, the timing was perfect.
“Cooper Flagg is a generational talent that deserves to be front and center as the cover athlete for Topps’ coming back into the Basketball Hobby with our first fully licensed release,” said Topps Basketball product manager Brett Whiteley. “Cooper is one of our exclusive athletes, and it was only fitting to reintroduce Topps back to the Basketball Hobby collectors with a talent that we expect to do great things over the next 2 decades.”
Landing in Dallas alongside Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving only adds to the excitement. Whiteley sees Flagg not just as a star in the making, but as a player whose career will help shape the NBA for years to come. “We know that Cooper will do great things for the next generation of players coming into the NBA,” he said. “His game should translate immediately to the league, and not only that, landing in Dallas to team up with the likes of Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving should do great things.”
High Expectations
For Topps, featuring Flagg on the cover was about making a statement to collectors. His image will be front and center in Hobby shops and on shelves in retailers like Target and Walmart, signaling the company’s confidence in both the player and the product. “We wanted to come strong out of the gate with someone that we expect to have a Hall of Fame career and let collectors know that we are confident in him, as they should be as well,” Whiteley explained.
The honor of being the face of Topps Basketball is one Whiteley compares to another iconic benchmark. “The cover athlete for Topps Basketball should be something that each athlete aspires to be on year in and year out,” he said. With Topps’ flagship release carrying such weight in the collecting world, the decision had to be unforgettable.
The Process
The design itself came together with clarity and precision. “Creatively, we wanted to make sure the Box designs matched the overall look and feel of the program,” Whiteley said. “The team did an amazing job incorporating those same designs you would see for the program as a whole into the box this year.” The process was unusually smooth. “Honestly, the box this year did not have any tweaks to it based on the initial design. The team crushed it with the amazing look and feel, making it look like it belonged with everything else you will see if you open a box of Topps Basketball.”
For the visual approach, simplicity was key. “For photography, we kept it kind of simple with more of a staged shot of Cooper holding the basketball, and for everyone to easily tell that is him front and center on our Flagship box for the world to see,” Whiteley explained. The typography and color scheme built around the Mavericks’ trademark blue tied it all together.
Looking ahead, Whiteley hopes this release becomes a milestone for both Flagg and the hobby itself. “We hope that over the long haul this box becomes an iconic box that collectors want to have in their collections just for the simple fact to show this is the first box that Cooper Flagg was featured on in his NBA uniform,” he said. “If Cooper’s career goes as well as we know it will, then this could be a box that the collecting community looks back on in the same way you might recognize, like a 2003-04 Topps Chrome Basketball box with Carmelo Anthony dunking.”
Topps Basketball Collector FAQ
- Why did Topps pick Cooper Flagg for the 2025-26 Topps Basketball cover?
- Flagg combines elite collegiate accolades, a No. 1 overall draft slot, a massive following, and immediate star power in Dallas. Topps sought a generational athlete to relaunch its fully licensed flagship, creating a cover collectors could celebrate for years.
- What design choices stand out on the 2025-26 Topps Basketball box?
- The photography is uncluttered to keep Flagg front and center, with graphics keyed to the Mavericks’ signature blue so the packaging pops at retail and in collections while complementing he program’s overall look.
- How does 2025-26 Topps Basketball compare to classic Topps NBA covers?
- The approach aims for timeless simplicity: hero photography, franchise color cues, and a layout designed to hold up like the beloved early-2000s Topps basketball boxes collectors still display.
- How significant is this release for Topps Basketball collectors?
- Very significant. It marks the brand’s first fully licensed NBA flagship release since the 2009– 10 season. Collectors view it as both a fresh start and an opportunity to connect modern rookies like Flagg to the long-standing Topps basketball lineage.
- Could the 2025-26 Topps Basketball box become a long-term collectible?
- Yes, especially if Cooper Flagg lives up to his hype. Like past Topps covers featuring legends early in their careers, this box could become a reference point for his rookie era and hold nostalgic value in years to come.
Key Facts
- Fully licensed Topps Basketball returns for 2025-26.
- Cooper Flagg is the cover athlete as a No. 1 pick in Dallas.
- Design: clean hero shot + Mavericks blue cues for shelf impact.
- Cooper Flagg joined Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, and Kevin Durant as the only freshmen to win the Naismith Award.
