Back In The Day NBA

1990s Michael Jordan Basketball Card Featuring Menendez Brothers Gains Value

Shandel Richardson

June 10, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan in game four of the 1998 NBA Finals at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY
June 10, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan in game four of the 1998 NBA Finals at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY / Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC
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Rarely did NBA legend Michael Jordan need a cameo to boost the value of his basketball trading cards.

But recently one particular card has surged in price because of the presence of the Menendez brothers (Lyle and Erik) appearing in the background. According to CLLT.com, Jordan's 1994 Upper Deck card has increased in value since the release of the Netflix documentary of the brothers who murdered their parents in the 1990s. It was one of the most popular court cases and stories of the year.

The card, which was part of a vintage college, featured Jordan leading the Chicago Bulls against the New York Knicks Jan. 15, 1990 at Madison Square Garden. The Menendez brothers, who went on a $700,000 spending spree after the murders, were convicted two months later.

Like Jordan, former New York Knicks point guard Mark Jackson also saw one of his cards increase in value because of the Menendez brothers.

His 1990 NBA Hoops was nothing out of the ordinary until fans began taking a closer look. The card features Jackson making an innocent bounce pass but sitting courtside are two infamous brothers.

"I always knew about it, unfortunately, because of the history behind it," Jackson said in an interview with ESPN a few years ago. "[I] heard about it whenever it picked up steam. People recognized what it was all about and who was in the background. I'm well aware of it."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com