{"id":96013,"date":"2025-03-13T06:20:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T10:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/?p=96013"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:20:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T10:20:09","slug":"best-larry-bird-topps-basketball-cards-to-collect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/best-larry-bird-topps-basketball-cards-to-collect\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Larry Bird Topps Basketball Cards to Collect"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some of Larry Legend’s Best with the Brand<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Date:<\/span> Mar 13, 2025<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tAuthor:<\/span> Michael Terry\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Length:<\/span> 470 \tWords<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Reading Time:<\/span> ~3 Minutes<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Larry Bird led Boston to three championships and four finals appearances in an incredible five-year stretch of play, during which the Hick From French Lick led Boston in playing some of the greatest basketball the world has ever seen. Indeed, some observers still maintain that Larry’s 1986 Boston club is the best there ever was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A noted trash-talker and undeniable showman, Bird remains one of the defining players of the league’s history. He and Magic Johnson built one of the great rivalries in the history of American sport, helping to popularize the game of basketball for a new generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a look at some of the best Topps cards of Larry Legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Larry Bird Cards to Collect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1981\/82 Topps Basketball #4 Larry Bird<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2022 Led Indiana State to first college basketball tournament in school history
\u2022 Played Magic Johnson and Michigan State in one of the most famous college finals in history<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Set info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 198-card set broken up into national cards and then east, midwest, and west cards that were distributed regionally
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card info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 highly covetable early bird in Boston warmup gear
\u2022 card back features vitals, stats, and description calling Bird a magnificent passer and shooter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1980\/81 Topps Basketball #34 Larry Bird\/#139 Julius Erving\/#174 Magic Johnson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2022 drafted sixth overall by Boston
\u2022 drafted at end of junior year and returned to Indiana state
\u2022 on signing, was highest-paid rookie in league history
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\u2022 mini cards released on 88 perforated sheets featuring three cards each<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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card info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 decision to issue cards in this manner resulted in one of the most iconic pieces in topps basketball history, a full panel featuring rookies larry bird and magic johnson as well as legend julius erving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2008\/09 Topps Chrome #169 Larry Bird Red Refractor \/5 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2022 won rookie of the year in 1980
\u2022 won first title in only second season in the league

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\u2022 220-card base set<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 intriguing bird card in modern topps chrome refractor featuring iconic image of bird waving a towel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1981\/82 Topps Basketball Super Action #101 Larry Bird<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2022 1982 all-star game MVP
\u2022 three-time three-point contest champion (1986, 1987, 1988)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 ‘Super action cards’ were part of a 66-card group distributed nationally
\u2022 11-card subset
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\u2022 another desirable early bird card showing the star finishing at the rim
\u2022 card back shows Bird’s collegiate stats and playoff stats with Boston
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1993\/94 Topps Finest Refractors #2 Larry Bird<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2022 won three straight MVPs (1984-1986)
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set info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 220-card base set
\u2022 set marks the beginning of the refractor era in the basketball hobby
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card info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 jump-shooting bird image alongside entries featuring Michael Jordan<\/a> and Shaquille O’Neal
\u2022 card back features vitals and stats and description of bird’s number 33 being retired by Boston in 1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More RIPPED & Basketball<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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