Mashburn Mondays #4

Last week, I discussed the Hornets which is the team most associated with several of the Wildcats I collect.  The main reason I talked about them was the fact that Anthony Davis was the #1 pick for the Hornets least week as well.  Draft chatter often surrounds this week's Random Cat of the Week as well.  Unfortunately, that chatter is negative at best and downright cruel at worst.  But before I get into that, we can check out some great Jamal Mashburn cards as well.

Let's take a look.

Jamal Mashburn 

Total Cards Owned = 502

1994 Fleer Pro Visions #1

Some of my favorite baseball cards from the "overproduction era" are the painted cards.  The best ones in my opinion were the Fleer Pro Visions.  I know that in the baseball version of this set, the entire picture, made by putting all 9 cards together, is a Wizard of Oz type painting.  This is the only card I have from the basketball set, so I don't know what the big picture is although from pics online it looks like a space motif.  It's not one of my favorites, but has its good points.

Card grade - C+

Other players on the card
none
 

1998 Bowman's Best #71

Basketball and Bowman has always seemed like an odd match.  Particularly due to the fact that, with a couple of exceptions, Bowman's Best was transferred but the base Bowman set was not.  I understand why because Bowman in the late 90s featured minor leaguers at its crux and basketball had no minor leagues at the time.  It's still odd that the Bowman's Best name was carried over.  Topps should have come up with a basketball-related set name in place of Bowman.  This card is not bad, but the oddity of the set name just drags it down to me.

Card grade - D

Other players on the card
76ers - Tim Thomas

2003 Ultra Platinum Medallion #57 Serial Numbered 065/100

In the history of all cards, there has never been a bigger hit-or-miss set line than Fleer Ultra.  Some Ultra sets are some of the best sets (IMHO) ever like 1997 or 2004.  Others (1995, 2002) are just downright boring.  Design-wise, 2003 is quite boring.  However, the fact that the medallions are die cut in a very cool fashion makes 2003 one of the better Ultra sets.  This card is the only card in either sport I collect in which I have a full Ultra rainbow (base, gold, platinum).  That and it's a great shot with a nice record of Gary Payton in Milwaukee.


Card grade - A

Other players on the card
Bucks - Desmond Mason, Gary Payton

RANDOM CAT OF THE WEEK

Sam Bowie

Total Cards Owned = 45

1986 Fleer #13

You all know the story with Sam Bowie, but just for clarity's sake.  Bowie was drafted #2 overall by the Trail Blazers in 1984 after Hakeem Olajuwon and before Michael Jordan.  While Bowie was not on their level in terms of career, he did make the All Rookie Team in the 1984-85 season, nearly averaging a double-double.  This card is from the super expensive 1986 Fleer set that features the Jordan rookie among many others.  It's a great card that shows one of the best players of all time with the rookie center.

Card grade - B+

Other players on the card
Lakers - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Blazers (behind Kareem) - Darnell Valentine

1990 Hoops #194

After missing much of the next 4 seasons with injuries, Bowie was traded along with a 1st rounder that became Mookie Blaylock to the Nets for power forward Buck Williams.  Bowie had his best years in a Nets uniform, but by this time he was already being criticized because of the careers of the others (Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley) drafted around him.  Despite all the negativity, Bowie averaged 12 points and 8 boards in 4 years in Jersey.  This card is from the 2nd Hoops offering.  It is perhaps the only gray/silver bordered set that I like.  This card just screams basketball to me.

Card grade - A-

Other players on the card
Lakers - Magic Johnson (I think)

1994 Stadium Club #116

In the summer of 1993, Bowie was traded to the Lakers in exchange for fellow under-performing high draft pick Benoit Benjamin.  By the time Bowie was in L.A., his many, many injuries finally took their toll on the big man.  He lasted two nondescript, injury-plagued seasons with the Lakers before calling it a career at the relatively young age of 33.  This card is the 3rd in this series that features Bowie matched up with a Hall of Famer.  It was a happy accident on my part, but it does show that when he was on the court you needed your best guarding Sam Bowie.

Card grade - B

Other players on the card
Knicks - Patrick Ewing



The one word I will never use with Sam Bowie (or Greg Oden for that matter) is "bust."  Sam Bowie was not a bust, he was injured.  When he was on the court, he was in the upper-echelon of centers.  Unfortunately, injuries killed his career.  Despite his injury-filled career, he still lasted 10 years in the NBA.  There have been many other first round picks that cannot say that. 

Thanx for reading.