The Set: Topps disappeared from the basketball card scene after their 1981-82 set. But in 1992-93, Shaquille O’Neal joined the NBA, and that was obviously going to sell some cards! So Topps returned with not only a regular set, but a premium set that they called Stadium Club. Both sets were quite successful as collectors chased rookies of Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning. Stadium Club kept things orderly, two Series at 200 cards each and a minimal, but classy, design. The front was simply a full-bleed photograph with everything else minimized. The player’s name was even smaller than the Stadium Club logo itself!
Member’s Choice was the only subset in ’92-93 Stadium Club, but other than the “Member’s Choice” in gold foil at the bottom (and some extra sparkle on that the gold foil), there’s barely a difference with the base cards. And don’t confuse “Member’s Choice” with the “Member’s Only” cards! Topps really should’ve picked a different name for this subset because of the “Member’s Only” exclusive factory sets. Honestly, this subset felt more like bonus cards of great players than something distinctive. The Member’s Choice subset connected Series I and Series II stretching from card numbers 191-210. With the front so similar to the base cards, the primary difference actually lies on the reverse and the statistics on the back. The card backs are horizontal like the base cards, but the statistics are presented in a unique way, giving the statistics per 48 minutes played and a ranking of the player both among the league and their teammates.
The Card: Michael Jordan is the last card in the “Member’s Choice” subset. Jordan was, of course, #1 in points, but some of the other categories are surprising. He was only #21 in steals, #57 in assists and #102 in three-pointers made. This is an important card to the 1992-93 Stadium Club set. With this one, collectors had a chance of finding Michael Jordan in Series II boxes. He would only have been in Series I otherwise.
You must be logged in to post a comment.