1997-98 Collector’s Choice consisted of two 200-card series for a total of 400 cards. They were available in a factory set too. This was the second year in a row that Collector’s Choice had exactly 400 cards. There were a handful of subsets and these Catch 23 cards end Series I, right after the thirty “Game Night ’97” cards and right before five “Checklist Challenge” cards this year. Who doesn’t like more Michael Jordan cards in a set! And this wasn’t the only Michael Jordan subset! “Michael’s Magic” cards were found near the end of Series II making this 1997-98 Collector’s Choice set really heavy with Michael Jordan.
The Catch 23 cards were meant to focus on different aspects of Michael Jordan, but they’re a bit all over the place. Topics range from career-focused, to past times, to technical skill. This #187 is the second card in the subset and it focuses on the finger roll layup. The unifying idea was supposed to be how everyone is trying to “Catch 23” or catch Michael Jordan, whether it is defenders like those mentioned on this finger roll card, or the media and fans mentioned elsewhere. But a more entertaining unifying idea is that you have to “Catch 23” yourself by finding hidden “mini-Jordan’s.”
SPOILER ALERT! The last sentence on the back implies there is a hidden Jordan on this card. Did you find it yet? That’s the fun of this subset. I’ll give you a second… Look at that left banner in the background…
Another piece of trivia, Upper Deck International contains a sticker version of these Catch 23 cards. The background of these is more gray.
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