If you already watched our video on the #66 Dennis Rodman card from ’93-94 Hoops, you already saw this #405. So if you’re back even after seeing that video, thank you. There will be more information because we’re going to look in more depth at the differences between these two cards. Hoops could’ve simply cut and pasted the reverse of this card, but they didn’t. We’ll start with the obvious change, Rodman’s appearance and then break down some of the smaller differences on the reverse. 1993-94 was Rodman’s trade from the Pistons to the Spurs so, here in ’93-94 Hoops, Rodman appears in both Series I and II with two different teams, and two different hair colors. The #66 is one of his last Pistons cards and it’s a great photo. Nice dunk… Pistons jersey and natural hair color… Contrast that with the blonde hair on the Spurs #405 and you would think these cards were from two different eras, not the same ’93-94 set.
And now some more subtle differences with the Series II card: first, they provided information about the trade to the Spurs. This is obviously very important. Unfortunately, they removed the information about him leading the league in rebounds despite missing 20 games to make room for the trade description. They added the fact that he made the All-NBA Third Team in 1992…uneventful information there. But they added a crucial piece of information, that he was a member of the Pistons Championship teams in 1989 and 1990. The final two pieces of information are also new and add character to this Series II card. First, that he led the NAIA in rebounding in 1985 and 1986. Secondly, that he didn’t play high school basketball!
I like this 1993-94 Hoops set. It was a year of transition for them. In 1993-94, NBA Hoops was still trying to find their footing and consolidating after that enormous (and overprinted) ’91-92 set. We went from about 600 cards in ’91-92, to about 500 the next season and now, here in ’93-94 we’re at 421 cards. An important note about the number of cards in the set though! They are numbered to 421 but some resources, like the 2001 Standard Catalog of Basketball Cards, argue that a Magic/Bird commemorative card and the 28 “Hoops Scoops” inserts should’ve been numbered as part of the regular set since they appear at the same rate as the other cards. They claim that this was a mistake by Hoops that was never corrected. This would make for an even 450 cards, so it is convincing. In addition to the number of cards changing, the design was in flux as well. This is the first season that Hoops has a borderless, full-bleed photo on the front. The basketball court key from 1989-90 and ’90-91 gave way to a more conventional border for two seasons, and now the border is gone entirely.
Hope you enjoyed looking at these two Rodman’s. Great to have such a change in a single set!
You must be logged in to post a comment.