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Top 5 Most Valuable Golden State Warriors Basketball Cards of All Time

November 5, 2023
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The Golden State Warriors have become one of the NBA's premier franchises over the past decade. Led by superstars like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the Warriors have won 4 championships since 2015. This sustained success has led to immense popularity for the team's players among basketball fans and collectors.

Certain rookie cards and other rare cards of Warriors legends can sell for thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars these days. Here's a look at the 5 most expensive and valuable Golden State Warriors basketball cards of all time.

#5 - Stephen Curry 2009-10 National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph

  • This rare Curry rookie card includes an on-card autograph and patch piece from his jersey.
  • It was limited to just 99 copies.
  • A BGS 9.5 graded copy sold for $50,400 in September 2021.

As the greatest shooter in NBA history and face of the Warriors franchise, Steph Curry cards carry a ton of demand. His rookie cards are notoriously difficult to find in top condition. This makes his limited National Treasures rookie card extremely desirable for collectors.

Curry won back-to-back MVP awards in 2015 and 2016 while leading the Warriors to their first title in 40 years. He followed that up by winning Finals MVP in 2022 as Golden State captured its 4th ring since 2015. It's no surprise that Curry's rookie cards have steadily increased in value in recent years.

#4 - Rick Barry 1965-66 Topps Rookie Card

  • This vintage card features Rick Barry early in his Hall of Fame career.
  • A PSA 10 gem mint copy sold for $60,000 in 2021.

Before Curry came along, Rick Barry was considered the greatest player in Warriors franchise history. The 1965-66 Topps rookie card pictures a young Barry in his early San Francisco Warriors days. There are very few copies that have achieved a perfect grade due to the card's age.

Barry was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1966 and led the Warriors to the NBA Finals in 1967. He averaged over 30 points per game in four different seasons with the Warriors. The Hall of Famer is the only player to ever lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in scoring for a season. His rookie card remains sought-after by vintage collectors.

#3 - Wilt Chamberlain 1959-60 Topps Rookie Card

  • Wilt Chamberlain's iconic rookie card from his early days with the Philadelphia Warriors.
  • A PSA 10 gem mint copy fetched $120,000 in 2020.

The most dominant big man in basketball history, Wilt Chamberlain began his pro career with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959 after a legendary college run. His '59-60 Topps rookie card is considered one of the most iconic vintage cards in the hobby.

In 1960, Chamberlain averaged 37 points and 27 rebounds while winning both the MVP and Rookie of the Year. He led the Philadelphia Warriors to the NBA Finals four times in the 1960s. Wilt won two championships with the team before the franchise relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962.

There are only a handful of Chamberlain rookie cards graded PSA 10 due to the card's age. Near-perfect copies like this have sold for massive sums at auction.

#2 - Stephen Curry 2009 Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Auto

  • Extremely rare Curry rookie card with an on-card auto and jersey patch piece.
  • A BGS 9.5 copy sold for $216,000 in 2021 - a record for a Curry card.

The 2009 Exquisite Collection basketball product featured some incredibly premium rookie cards of the NBA's rising stars. Steph Curry's Exquisite rookie is his most coveted card for collectors. With a print run under 100, they are nearly impossible to find in top condition.

The card's popularity has exploded in conjunction with Curry's NBA stardom over the past decade. The record-setting $216,000 sale in 2021 shows just how much demand there is for rare Steph Curry rookie cards.

#1 - LeBron James 2003-04 Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autograph

  • This is considered LeBron James' best and most iconic rookie card.
  • A PSA 10 gem mint copy fetched $5.2 million in 2021 - the most ever paid for a basketball card.

Why does a LeBron James card top this list of Warriors collectibles? Well, the Warriors selected LeBron first overall in the 2003 NBA draft before immediately trading him to the Cavaliers for cash and a future first-rounder. So LeBron was technically drafted by Golden State.

With King James considered by many as the greatest player since Michael Jordan, this Exquisite Collection rookie card is desired by collectors all over the world. Its global popularity and tiny print run under 100 copies make it the basketball card with the highest potential value. The $5.2 million sale smashed all previous records for a basketball card.

While LeBron never suited up for the Warriors franchise, the team still made out incredibly well in the long run from drafting and trading him. His rookie card remains the crown jewel of cards associated with Golden State.

That does it for the list of the top 5 most expensive Golden State Warriors basketball cards of all-time. Iconic vintage cards from Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry as well as modern superstar rookies of Steph Curry and LeBron James comprise the cream of the crop. These rare cards have sold for a king's ransom at recent auctions.

Warriors cards should continue to be hot commodities, as Golden State remains a perennial NBA title contender with Curry leading the way. Rookie cards of emerging stars like Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman will be ones to watch in the years ahead as well. For now, the rarest cards of Curry and past legends sit atop every Warriors collector's wishlist!