A Year Without Cards

 This is the last card in the 1981-82 Topps basketball set:

That's Moses Malone attempting a shot over Washington's Wes Unseld - who didn't have his own card in the set likely because he retired in 1981. Topps issued this set regionally, as they did with the 1981-82 hockey set: 66 main cards, 44 "East" cards, 44 "Midwest" cards, and 44 "West" cards. After this set Topps ceased production of both hockey and basketball cards until 1984 and 1992, respectively. 

This is the first card of the 1983-84 Star basketball set. The Star company led their 275-card set with the 1983 champs' star player Julius Erving. I'm not going to get into whether Star counts as a "true" set since the cards were distributed in specific team bags rather than assorted randomly in packs. It's an NBA set, and it was the only option basketball card collectors had until Fleer's initial NBA release in 1986-87.


But wait... this set was released in 1983. What about 1982?

There weren't any NBA card sets in 1982. So I decided to make one.

I'm not a graphic designer and I never learned PhotoShop so I don't have a mock-up design to show you.

Instead I created a 198-card checklist for the 1982-83 "Topps" basketball set. I didn't add any Super Action or Team Leaders cards, I simply chose eight players for each team and then added a postseason recap at the end of the set - one card for each series. Here's the checklist (rookie cards in bold.)

card #	1982-83 Topps	notes
1	John Drew - SF - Hawks
2	Steve Hawes - PF - Hawks
3	Eddie Johnson - SG - Hawks
4	(RC) Rudy Macklin - SF - Hawks	Macklin has no NBA cards
5	Tom McMillen - C - Hawks
6	Tree Rollins - C - Hawks
7	(AS) Dan Roundfield - PF - Hawks
8	(RC) Rory Sparrow - PG - Hawks
9	(AS) Tiny Archibald - PG - Celtics
10	(AS) Larry Bird - SF - Celtics
11	M. L. Carr - SF - Celtics
12	Chris Ford - SG - Celtics
13	Gerald Henderson - PG - Celtics
14	Cedric Maxwell - SF - Celtics
15	Kevin McHale - PF - Celtics
16	(AS) Robert Parish - C - Celtics
17	(AS) Artis Gilmore - C - Bulls	*now with Spurs 7/22/82*
18	David Greenwood - PF - Bulls
19	Dwight Jones - PF - Bulls
20	Larry Kenon - PF - Bulls
21	(RC) Ronnie Lester - PG - Bulls
22	Ricky Sobers - SG - Bulls
23	Reggie Theus - SG - Bulls
24	(RC) Orlando Woolridge - SF - Bulls
25	Ron Brewer - SG - Cavaliers
26	James Edwards - C - Cavaliers
27	Geoff Huston - PG - Cavaliers
28	Phil Hubbard - SF - Cavaliers
29	Cliff Robinson - PF - Cavaliers
30	James Silas - PG - Cavaliers
31	Scott Wedman - SF - Cavaliers
32	Bobby Wilkerson - SF - Cavaliers
33	(RC) Mark Aguire - SF - Mavericks
34	(RC) Rolando Blackman - SG - Mavericks
35	Allan Bristow - SF - Mavericks
36	Wayne Cooper - C - Mavericks
37	(RC*) Brad Davis - PG - Mavericks	shared TL card in '81-82
38	Jim Spanarkel - SG - Mavericks
39	(RC) Elston Turner - SF - Mavericks
40	(RC) Jay Vincent - PF - Mavericks
41	T.R. Dunn - SG - Nuggets
42	(AS) Alex English - SF - Nuggets
43	(RC) Kenny Higgs - PG - Nuggets	never had a solo NBA card
44	Dan Issel - C - Nuggets
45	Billy McKinney - PG - Nuggets
46	Dave Robisch - C - Nuggets
47	David Thompson - SG - Nuggets	Sunset Card
48	(RC) Kiki Vandeweghe - PF - Nuggets
49	Kent Benson - C - Pistons
50	Kenny Carr - PF - Pistons
51	Vinnie Johnson - SG - Pistons
52	Bill Laimbeer - C - Pistons
53	John Long - SG - Pistons
54	(AS/RC) Isiah Thomas - PG - Pistons
55	(AS/RC) Kelly Tripucka - SF - Pistons
56	Terry Tyler - PF - Pistons
57	Joe Barry Carroll - C - Warriors
58	World B. Free - SG - Warriors	first card to call him "World"
59	Mike Gale - PG - Warriors
60	(AS) Bernard King - SF - Warriors
61	(RC) Lorenzo Romar - PG - Warriors	Romar has no NBA cards
62	Larry Smith - PF - Warriors
63	Purvis Short - SF - Warriors
64	(RC) Sam Williams - PF - Warriors
65	Mike Dunleavy - SG - Rockets
66	Elvin Hayes - PF - Rockets
67	Tom Henderson - SG - Rockets
68	Allen Leavell - PG - Rockets
69	(AS) Moses Malone - C - Rockets	1982 NBA MVP
70	Calvin Murphy - PG - Rockets	Sunset Card
71	Robert Reid - SF - Rockets
72	(RC) Bill Willoughby - SF - Rockets
73	Don Buse - PG - Pacers
74	Johnny Davis - SG - Pacers
75	(RC) Clemon Johnson - C - Pacers
76	Billy Knight - SF - Pacers
77	George McGinnis - PF - Pacers	Sunset Card
78	Louis Orr - SF - Pacers
79	Tom Owens - PF - Pacers
80	(RC) Herb Williams - C - Pacers
81	(RC*) Larry Drew - PG - Kings	shared TL card in '81-82
82	Phil Ford - PG - Kings
83	Ernie Grunfeld - SG - Kings
84	(RC) Eddie Johnson - SF - Kings
85	(RC) Reggie Johnson - PF - Kings	had just one NBA card
86	(RC) Steve Johnson - C - Kings
87	Reggie King - SF - Kings
88	Mike Woodson - SG - Kings
89	(AS) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - C - Lakers
90	Michael Cooper - SG - Lakers
91	(AS) Magic Johnson - SG - Lakers
92	Mitch Kupchak - PF - Lakers
93	Bob McAdoo - C - Lakers
94	(AS) Norm Nixon - PG - Lakers
95	(RC) Kurt Rambis - PF - Lakers
96	Jamaal Wilkes - SF - Lakers
97	Junior Bridgeman - SF - Bucks
98	Quinn Buckner - PG - Bucks
99	Marques Johnson - SF - Bucks
100	Mickey Johnson - PF - Bucks
101	(AS) Bob Lanier - C - Bucks
102	(RC) Alton Lister - C - Bucks
103	Sidney Moncrief - SG - Bucks
104	Brian Winters - SG - Bucks
105	Otis Birdsong - SG - Nets
106	Darwin Cook - PG - Nets
107	Len Elmore - C - Nets
108	Mike Gminski - C - Nets
109	(RC) Albert King - SF - Nets
110	Mike O'Koren - SF - Nets
111	(AS/RC) Buck Williams - PF - Nets	1982 Rookie of the Year
112	Ray Williams - SG - Nets	*now with Kings 6/29/82*
113	Bill Cartwright - C - Knicks
114	Maurice Lucas - PF - Knicks	*now with Suns 7/7/82*
115	(AS) Micheal Ray Richardson - PG - Knicks
116	Campy Russell - SF - Knicks
117	Randy Smith - SG - Knicks
118	Marvin Webster - C - Knicks
119	Paul Westphal - SG - Knicks
120	Sly Williams - SF - Knicks
121	Mike Bantom - SF - 76ers
122	Maurice Cheeks - PG - 76ers
123	Darryl Dawkins - C - 76ers	*now with Nets 8/27/82*
124	(AS) Julius Erving - SF - 76ers
125	Lionel Hollins - PG - 76ers
126	(AS) Bobby Jones - PF - 76ers
127	Caldwell Jones - C - 76ers
128	(RC) Andrew Toney - SG - 76ers
129	Alvan Adams - C - Suns
130	Walter Davis - SF - Suns
131	(AS) Dennis Johnson - SG - Suns
132	Rich Kelley - C - Suns
133	Kyle Macy - PG - Suns
134	(RC) Larry Nance - PF - Suns
135	Leonard Robinson - PF - Suns	*now with Knicks 7/7/82*
136	(RC) Alvin Scott - SF - Suns
137	Billy Ray Bates - SG - Blazers
138	Bob Gross - SF - Blazers
139	(RC) Mike Harper - PF - Blazers	Harper has no NBA cards
140	Calvin Natt - SF - Blazers
141	Jim Paxson - SG - Blazers
142	Kelvin Ransey - PG - Blazers
143	Mychal Thompson - C - Blazers
144	(RC) Darnell Valentine - PG - Blazers
145	(RC) Gene Banks - SF - Spurs
146	Mike Bratz - PG - Spurs
147	Dave Corzine - C - Spurs	*now with Bulls 7/22/82*
148	(AS) George Gervin - SG - Spurs
149	George Johnson - C - Spurs
150	Mike Mitchell - SF - Spurs
151	Johnny Moore - PG - Spurs
152	Mark Olberding - PF - Spurs	*now with Bulls 7/22/82*
153	Michael Brooks - SF - Clippers
154	(RC) Tom Chambers - PF - Clippers
155	Joe Bryant - SF - Clippers	*now with Rockets 6/28/82*
156	Charlie Criss - PG - Clippers
157	Swen Nater - C - Clippers
158	Brian Taylor - PG - Clippers
159	Jerome Whitehead - C - Clippers
160	(RC) Al Wood - SG - Clippers
161	Fred Brown - SG - Sonics
162	(RC) James Donaldson - C - Sonics
163	(RC) Bill Hanzlik - PF - Sonics
164	(AS) Jack Sikma - C - Sonics
165	(AS) Lonnie Shelton - PF - Sonics
166	Phil Smith - SG - Sonics
167	(AS) Gus Williams - PG - Sonics
168	Wally Walker - SF - Sonics
169	(AS) Adrian Dantley - SF - Jazz
170	Darrell Griffith - SG - Jazz
171	(RC) Rickey Green - PG - Jazz
172	James Hardy - SF - Jazz
173	Carl Nicks - SG - Jazz	had just one NBA card
174	Ben Poquette - PF - Jazz
175	(RC) Danny Schayes - C - Jazz
176	(RC) Jeff Wilkins - C - Jazz
177	Greg Ballard - SF - Bullets
178	Don Collins - SG - Bullets
179	Kevin Grevey - SG - Bullets
180	Spencer Haywood - PF - Bullets	Sunset Card
181	(RC) Frank Johnson - SG - Bullets
182	John Lucas - PG - Bullets
183	Rick Mahorn - PF - Bullets
184	(RC) Jeff Ruland - C - Bullets
185	76ers - Hawks 1st Round
186	Bullets - Nets 1st Round
187	Suns - Nuggets 1st Round
188	Sonics - Rockets 1st Round
189	Celtics - Bullets East Semifinal
190	76ers - Bucks East Semifinal
191	Lakers - Suns West Semifinal
192	Spurs - Sonics West Semifinal
193	76ers - Celtics East Final
194	Lakers - Spurs West Final
195	Lakers - 76ers Final
196	Lakers Celebrate / Magic Johnson MVP
197	Checklist #1-99
198	Checklist #100-198

As you can see from this sample checklist, 1982-83 Topps would have had a strong group of Rookie Cards including Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and near-HOFers Mark Aguirre and Tom Chambers. Four Hall of Famers would have had a proper sunset card, and four players missed their best chance at being captured on cardboard.

Also I noted any transactions up to the end of August; Topps may have added text to the card fronts with this info.

Hat tip to retrocards.net for these playoff highlight mock-ups.

Thanks for reading!




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