Topps Basketball Cards Return for the 2025-26 NBA Season
Topps releases licensed basketball cards for the first time in 16 years with the 2025-26 set featuring Cooper Flagg rookies and Victor Wembanyama autographs.
Licensed basketball cards return to Topps
For the first time in 16 years, Topps released licensed basketball cards! The 2025-26 set represents “the first fully licensed Topps basketball cards since the 2009-10 season.” The flagship set arrived with new designs, parallels, and chase cards, plus throwback inserts honoring iconic Topps basketball cards from the past.
2025-26 Topps Basketball: What to Expect
Topps’ first flagship set in 16 years launched October 23, 2025, bringing significant excitement to the hobby. “2025-26 Topps Basketball has team names and logos on cards for the first time since the 2009-10 Topps Basketball set.” Fanatics now holds exclusive NBA card licensing rights. Panini previously held these rights from 2010 to 2024.
Cards come in four formats: hobby, jumbo, blaster, and mega. Hobby boxes contain one autograph or relic card per box, while jumbo boxes guarantee one autograph and one relic. Each includes additional parallels, inserts, and short prints. Retail versions (blaster and mega boxes) offer exclusive parallels, inserts, and additional 1980-81 Topps Basketball insert cards.
Before this licensing deal, Topps produced basketball products with NBA players in blank jerseys, listing only team cities on cards. These included Topps Finest, Topps Inception, Topps Midnight, and Topps Cosmic Chrome. With full licensing restored, collectors anticipate enhanced versions of these popular products.
What Are Some of the Best Cards in the Set?
Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama generate the most excitement. Flagg, the 2025 NBA Draft top overall pick, has his first flagship rookie card in the set. Though not a rookie, Wembanyama’s first licensed autographed card as a professional appears here.
A highly sought autograph set honors the 1980-81 Topps set, featuring current players with Base Autographs and Chrome Autographs inspired by that iconic design. An ultra-rare chase includes 1980-81 Topps Basketball Triple Autographs with on-card autographs from the first, second, and fourth picks in the 2025 NBA Draft: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Kon Knueppel.
Case hits include short-printed (SP) sets: All Kings, Hardwood Stars, Hidden Gems, and Class of 25. Comic Court and Home Court carry even longer odds as super short prints (SSP).
Honoring Retro Topps Basketball Cards
Beyond autographs celebrating the 1980-81 set’s 45th anniversary, longtime collectors recognize refreshed versions of past Topps basketball cards. Non-autographed inserts include 1980-81 Topps Basketball. Own the Game, a memorabilia set staple from early 2000s releases, receives a refresh.
Topps honors inserts from four past basketball releases in the 2025-26 set. New School comes from 1997-98 Topps Basketball. No Limit and Rise to Stardom originate from 2000-01 Topps Basketball. Clutch City Prospects derives from 2006-07 Topps Basketball, while Generation Now comes from 2007-08 Topps Basketball.
2025-26 Topps Basketball Adopts Iconic Topps Baseball Designs
Baseball collectors who enjoy basketball will recognize familiar designs in 2025-26 Topps Basketball. The base card design matches 2025 Topps Baseball. Variations familiar to baseball collectors include Number Variations and Team Color Border Variations.
The base set includes 1/1 First Cards and short-printed Golden Mirror cards. 1/1 First Cards carry a special stamp indicating the first copy printed. Golden Mirror cards feature photo variations, gold Topps logos on front, and gold designs on back.
Familiar inserts include Stars of the NBA, Power Players, and 8-Bit Ballers. Short-printed case hits crossing from baseball to basketball are Hidden Gems and Home Court.
Collect 2025-26 Topps Basketball Cards Now
Topps basketball cards make their long-awaited return with 2025-26 Topps Basketball! Collectors can pursue Cooper Flagg’s first Mavericks rookie card or Victor Wembanyama’s first official autograph. Visit the AA Mint Cards online store to purchase 2025-26 Topps Basketball boxes today.