Topps Announces New Set Commemorating Negro League Greats, New All-Time Sale for Michael Jordan Card, First Public Sale of A Wembanyama Kaboom

Last week, the MLB announced that Negro League statistics would officially be integrated into its historical records. As a result, Josh Gibson is now the all-time leader in career batting average, slugging percentage, and a host of other records. And just a few days prior, Topps recognized some of the Negro League’s all-time greats with a six-card set designed by former major leaguer Micah Johnson.

The special Satchel Paige Negro Leagues card designed by Micah Johnson for the MLB at Rickwood Field game on June 20, 2024 (Topps)

Johnson spent months designing cards for Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, and Willie Mays with charcoal on canvas, leading up to their unveiling at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on May 23, 2024. Josh Gibson’s card is currently for sale on Topps’ website, and more cards will be available every Thursday leading up to June 20, when the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants will play at Rickwood Field. Rickwood is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and former home of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues.

To hear from Micah Johnson himself about the project, check out The Chase 301 wherever you listen to your podcasts.

New All-Time Sale for Michael Jordan Card

This weekend, the gavel hit the stand on a 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Michael Jordan Signed Logoman. The buyer paid the highest price for any MJ card yet: $2,928,000. The previous record holder is a 1997-98 Upper Deck All-Star Game Used Jersey Patch Auto 6/23, which sold for $2.7 million in October 2021.

I was a little sticker-shocked upon seeing this at first. It begs the question: Will Lebron James ever have a card sell for this much? And is the card market a meaningful indication of who the G.O.A.T. is?

First Public Sale of A Wembanyama Kaboom

Another basketball card made waves this weekend – a Victor Wembanyama Gold Kaboom /10. This is the first known public sale of one of Wemby’s Crown Royale Case Hits, and it certainly set a precedent. The PSA 7 went for a whopping $40,260, leaving collectors to ponder what a PSA 10 might sell for, or even an 8. What is a justified expected return for a base Wemby Kaboom? Let us know what you think in the comments!