What if I told you a PSA-certified Michael Jordan card just popped up for sale on eBay? I bet many of you are already rushing to check it out. But hey, if you miss out, don’t sweat it—you might just get lucky and stumble upon another one. That’s precisely what happened to one person recently. Only this time, it wasn’t just a Jordan card they found. There was something more, another player right alongside the NBA legend. And let’s be real, when it comes to MJ, nothing about it is ever cheap.

Fanatics Collect posted on X, “Someone found a Michael Jordan card worth over $15,000 inside this toy box 🤯. The limited-edition 1989 Kenner Starting Lineup ‘One On One’ set included two trading cards and the dual-figure scene of Jordan and Isiah Thomas. Because high-grade copies were so rarely submitted due to packaging wear, there are only 31 PSA 10s of the Michael Jordan card in existence. One recently sold for $15,100 on eBay, and another PSA 10 copy is live now in the Fanatics Collect Weekly Auction.” This post also included a picture of the box, showing both cards and the figure.

Millennials might recall the Starting Lineup figures craze, where having a tiny version of your favorite NBA player was the ultimate thrill! Yahoo reported that the idea originated from former NFL wide receiver John McInally, who observed that toy stores were filled with G.I. Joe figures but no athletes. By 1986, his final year in football, McInally brought real sports stars to toy shelves. Each figure came with a trading card, instantly becoming a hit and turning into a ‘perfect’ instant collectible.

1989 was the first time the NBA Slam Dunk series (Starting Lineup) was featured, with stars like MJ and Larry Bird. The USP of these toys? They all had not only the player but also a mini hardwood beneath them. However, as creativity with these boxes waned, so did sales, and they were soon discontinued. So, finding one of these now becomes extremely valuable.

This Michael Jordan 1989 Kenner Starting Lineup “One on One” card is a second-year release, capturing MJ perfectly mirroring the NBA logo. A PSA 10 copy sold for $7,250 in 2021, and now another is up on eBay for $15,100, as mentioned above.

Here’s a special list of other notable Michael Jordan Starting Lineup cards:

• Michael Jordan 1988 Kenner Starting Lineup PSA 10
• Michael Jordan 1991 Kenner Starting Lineup “Dribbling” PSA 10
• Michael Jordan 1993 Kenner Stadium Club Starting Lineup BGS 9.5
• Michael Jordan 1990 Kenner Starting Lineup “Yellow” PSA 10
• Michael Jordan 1990 Kenner Starting Lineup PSA 10

There’s also the Kobe Bryant 1996 Skybox Premium Starting Lineup “Extended Series” PSA 10 card, featuring Kobe in his iconic Purple and Gold No. 8 Lakers jersey. Interestingly, though, the most recent record-breaking Kobe-MJ sale isn’t connected to this particular lineup.

The jaw-dropping sale of the Jordan & Bryant 1-of-1 card

In August, and more specifically on Kobe Bryant’s birthday, the sale of the 2007–08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card closed at a whopping $12.932 million, setting a record for a modern sports card.

The card features game-worn Logoman patches and on-card autographs from Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It’s a true 1-of-1 centerpiece from the Exquisite era, widely regarded as a modern holy grail.

With 11 combined championships between them, and Kobe’s legacy often seen as the “1B” to Jordan’s “1A,” the card’s value was set to skyrocket. When it finally went up for auction, however, the price exceeded expectations. The purchase itself was monumental—Kevin O’Leary, Matt Allen, and Paul Warshaw teamed up to make it happen. To put it in perspective, this card now sits just behind Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series “called shot” jersey, which fetched $24.12 million last year!

Heritage Auctions’ Director of Sports Auctions, Chris Ivy, called it “the finest modern basketball card in the world.” He explained that while the card was always expected to break records, competitive bidding pushed the final price into historic territory. It also smashed previous benchmarks, including the $12.6 million for a 1952 Mickey Mantle card and the $5.2 million for a 2003-04 LeBron James Gold Rookie Patch Autograph, creating its place in sports collectible history.