The 1970-71 ABA All-Star 5×7 Picture Pack cards aren’t really “cards.” When coming across this set, you might be surprised that they’re simply pieces of 5″ x 7″ paper. The backs are blank. Fortunately, authenticity isn’t really an issue, but if you’re worried, comparing image quality to known samples and checking the stock and color of the paper against plain white helps. These are simple “cards,” just black-and-white photos with the player and team names underneath. There’s no numbering, so I’m ordering alphabetically by last name. Twelve All-Stars from the ABA make up this set with the Rick Barry card being the highlight (avid basketball fans will recognize other names like John Brisker, but for the average fan, Rick Barry, the only Hall-of-Famer in the set, is the most recognizable). But for those willing to explore and spend time with the set, there’s a lot of fascinating history here.
This is the fifth card in the set, George Carter. Although the card displays the Pittsburgh Condors as his team, the card was preempting a trade that would happen for the 1971-72 season. He actually represented the Squires for the 1971 ABA All-Star game. And to put this George Carter card in context chronologically, this is two seasons before one of my favorite Virginia Squires cards, the ’72-73 Topps Dr. J rookie card. If you’ve browsed some of the other cards in this set, you know that when it comes to fascinating information, this set never lets us down. This card is no exception…George Carter was drafted by four different professional sports leagues! The Pistons drafted him in the 1967 NBA Draft while simultaneously he was selected in the ABA draft. So there’s two in basketball. But he was also drafted by the New York Mets and the Buffalo Bills, so that takes care of the MLB and the NFL as well. Selected in four different drafts! He went to play for the Pistons, but after playing just one game, jumped over to the ABA for the Washington Caps. That’s what the Virginia Squires were called in 1969-70. Then they moved to Norfolk the next season and changed their name. Other than that one game for the Pistons, George Carter played entirely for the ABA for a variety of teams. But he still technically played for both the ABA and the NBA like many other players in this set.
Despite the “cards” being paper, as well as being off-the-beaten-path for basketball cards, they can be a unique addition to a collection. You can see them listed as the first set in comprehensive price guides like the 2001 Standard Catalog of Basketball Cards. This guide lists the price of the set at $60, but frankly, the price is unpredictable because it’s rarely on the market and depends on if there’s a buyer searching for it!
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