MoCC Toronto Raptors Collection
Commemorating Toronto’s players from their first year in 1995 all the way to winning the 2019 NBA championship, we celebrate the players, their stories, and their cards, including the players you may now have forgotten, as we revisit the ups and downs of Raptor history.
Radoslav “Rasho” Nesterović
You may know who Dallas Maverick’s star Luka Dončić is, but do you know his godfather was once a Toronto Raptor? Before Arrival Nestrović was selected 17th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1998 NBA draft. Known as “Rasho”, he played at the Center position. He remained with the Timberwolves for four years, but…
Popeye Jones
After Jones was born and his mother took him home from the hospital, his brother was watching Popeye on TV. When asked what name to name his baby brother, he said “Popeye.” Before Arrival Popeye Jones was selected by Houston in the second round (41st overall) of the 1992 NBA Draft. On 30 June 1993, the…
Mark Jackson
A short stint as a Raptor, Jackson later became an NBA coach, a victim of an extortion involving the FBI, and a Christian pastor attempting to heal Stephen Curry. He even appeared on a New York Knicks basketball card that included two murderers at court-side. Before Arrival Mark Jackson was selected 18th overall by the New…
Sharone Wright
From a Toronto Raptor to a Hong Kong Power Dragon, the story of Sharone Wright reminds us that our lives can change in any moment. Before Arrival Sharone Wright had great promise when he arrived in the league. He was selected 6th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1994 NBA draft. He appeared in 79 games…
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MoCC Stories
Kobe Bryant v Score Board Inc.
Kobe Bryant’s legal battle against Score Board Inc. provides a glimpse of the trading card business regarding player autographs. The Score Board, Inc. (“Score Board”) was a sports memorabilia company founded in 1987 by Paul and Ken Goldin, a father and son pair who were into baseball card collecting. The company began life as a…
Murderers on a Basketball Card
When you look at any card, look at it carefully. You may discover something in a card that no one has before. It could be finding someone you know, a sighting of a celebrity, or in this case, it took 30 years to find two convicted murderers sitting court-side. The Crime On 20 August 1989,…
The “Magic” Story of Jordan Swagerty
How did Magic Johnson’s autographs end up on baseball cards? The baseball card Is it a stroke of creativity or a grave error when Panini mistakenly stuck basketball Hall of Fame Lakers legend Magic Johnson’s sticker and clothed autographs on baseball prospect Jordan Swagerty’s 2010 Donruss Elite baseball cards? Not just one card. According to…
The Story of Fleer, Bill Ripken, and his Bat
An expletive proves that sometimes it is not about who is on the card, but what is on the card. The #616 For those who do not know the story, this baseball card is famous for a reason you could not have imagined. It was not about “who” was on the card but “what” was…
The Law Student that became Famous
How did this law student end up inside packs of baseball cards? Future Star Kazuo Uzuki On 6 February 2008, a “Future Star” card was released for a supposed high school superstar named Kazuo “The Uzi” Uzuki. Uzi was a type of rapid-firing submachine gun, so his nickname was a homage to the speed that Kazuo could…
The Legend of Johnny Kilroy
The Chicago Bulls player wore #4 and scored 79 points in the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets. Could he have been #23? The Commercial Released as #JK1 in the 1994 Upper Deck SE set, Kilroy was an insert card issued by Upper Deck. He was best known for scoring 79 points in the first…
Forget Waldo, Where’s Michael Jordan?
A recent lawsuit launched by Upper Deck against Panini America alleged the unlawful use of Michael Jordan’s image in the background of multiple Panini trading cards. Unlike Johnny Kilroy, this is not a Nike commercial to promote Michael Jordan. Remember those “Where’s Waldo?” (known as “Where’s Wally?” in Europe) books which told you to find…
The (HATED) Spalding Synthetic Basketball
On 28 June 2006, the NBA announced that it was making the first change to the basketball in over 35 years from a leather ball to a synthetic ball. The newly designed ball lasted from October to December 2007 before being changed back to leather. What happened? On a particular Sunday morning, I took some…
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