Sports
Oct 25, 2026
Watching LeBron James in a Philadelphia 76ers jersey has been like one giant Rocky montage: One minute he’s getting booed, the next he’s yelling back at fans, reminding them he’s from Ohio.
The King isn’t playing games this year.
With the fourth edition of the NBA Cup tipping off tonight, Prime Video is bringing us a doubleheader that reads like a collector’s wish list: LeBron’s 76ers host Jalen Brunson and the defending-champion Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by LeBron James’ Luka Doncic’s Lakers visiting Stephen Curry’s Warriors at 10:00 p.m. ET. It’s exactly the type of drama the Association is trying to stir up, and 10 days into the young NBA season, the fans are loving it.
With the release of Courtyard’s Basketball Cup Tournament Pack ($49)—which feature bounties on chase cards from superstars Luka, LeBron, Steph, as well as rising star JV Edgecombe—we dug into our data to give basketball card collectors insights into how early-season action on the hardwood is affecting NBA cardboard. As it turns out, a player that hasn’t scored a point since 2003 tops LeBron and the rest of today’s superstars.
Since the season topped off just under two weeks ago, Michael Jordan has been the most searched basketball player on Courtyard, followed by Kobe Bryant and LeBron. Those searches have led to sales, too: A Jordan sticker card from 1986 recently sold on Courtyard for more than $3,000 , with the seller taking home the full amount thanks to Courtyard’s 0% seller fees.
No, it’s not the Champions League. Yes, the court designs are crazy. Ladies and gentlemen, The NBA Cup is back!
Michael Jordan Tops NBA Searches on Courtyard
The 2026-27 NBA season tipped off on October 20th, and while it has featured plenty of superstars—from LeBron and Kevin Durant to Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—the most-searched player on Courtyard over the past 10 days hasn’t touched the court in more than two decades.
Between October 20th and October 30th, Michael Jordan, His Airness himself, was the most-searched basketball player on our platform. While that won’t settle the GOAT debate for everyone, it does show where basketball card collectors’ allegiance lie.
As for the rest of the list, it turns out Ant scoring 45 points in the season opener to become just the third player in league history to drop 40+ in multiple openers (joining Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain) got the people going. Maybe that’s why we can’t stop thinking about the 2020 Panini Select Anthony Edwards Rookie Signatures Gold Prizm rookie card hidden in our basketball packs. What a gem!
Flagg collectors weren’t deterred by what initially looked like a rough injury, while Doncic’s most recent league-leading points barrage wasn’t enough to crack the top-five, placing him at seventh, behind Steph but above SGA, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tyrese Maxey.
Top Secondary Basketball Card Sales on Courtyard
Courtyard has 0% selling fees, making it an attractive destination for those looking to meet basketball card buyers hungry for dunks, blocks, steals, and the chase cards that capture them, and since the start of the season, basketball searches on Courtyard have quickly turned into sales.
We tracked down the three-biggest peer-to-peer sales on our marketplace since the start of the season.
- $3,250: 1986 Fleer Sticker #8 Michael Jordan (PSA 8 NM-MT)
- $1,273: 2003 Topps #221 LeBron James (PSA 9 MINT)
- $1,150: 2020 Panini Prizm #258 Anthony Edwards – Silver Prizm (PSA 10 GEM MINT)
Since Jordan topped basketball-related searches on Courtyard since the start of the season, it’s no surprise that one of his cards was the top sale, too. Similarly, LeBron will seemingly always have demand, especially while he’s still on the court, but Anthony Edwards’ appearance is a testament to the power of timely on-court hustle turning into high-end sales.
NBA Cup Storylines:
2003 Upper Deck LeBron James Rookie Exclusive #1 PSA 10 GEM MINT
The King’s move to a new city hasn’t cooled collector interest in Courtyard’s third-most-searched player through the start of the season. Want to turn back the clock with a coveted LeBron rookie card? Chase the 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives card available in the Basketball Cup Tournament Pack.
2024 Donruss Optic Luka Doncic Alter Ego #1 (PSA 10 GEM MINT)
As great as Luka’s been during his nine NBA seasons, he’s never earned anything more than a personal accolade. While being named as the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year, making the All-NBA First Team six times, and earning two scoring titles, he doesn’t have a ring. The NBA Cup isn’t exactly the Larry O’Brien, but this would be a nice addition to his mantel.
2024 NBA Hoops Stephen Curry Presentations #3 (PSA 10 GEM MINT):
Can Steph’s hot hand help the Warriors beat the Lakers—and ultimately lift the NBA Cup trophy? If so, they’ll have to rely on rookie sensation Yaxel Lendeborg to shoulder part of the load. Steph’s on fire, but he can’t do it all himself, and this kid is legit.
2025 Panini Instant NBA VJ Edgecombe Draft Night Autograph (PSA 9 MINT)
The 76ers are loaded with superstars, from newcomers like LeBron and Jaylen Brown, to mainstays like The Process himself (Joel Embiid) and Tyrese Maxey—but don’t forget about last year’s enigmatic rookie: VJ Edgecombe. Right from the jump, he played meaningful minutes, which has prepared him to partner up with some of the game’s greats this year. Now, you’ve got a chance to chase one of his rookie autos.
Chase the NBA Cup on Courtyard:
The NBA is a league of stars—and storylines. With nearly as much drama as WWE, there’s always something for fans to watch, and the addition of the NBA Cup has given fans even more to follow.
Thanks to Courtyard, basketball card collectors can get in on the fun, too.
Available this weekend, the Basketball Cup Tournament Pack brings four bounties to chase, with those that pull and hold Luka Doncic or LeBron James until 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 1st set to win 40k Courtyard Points, and those that pull and hold Stephen Curry or VJ Edgecombe set to win 20k Courtyard Points.
Ready for the NBA Cup? Follow us on Instagram and let us know who you think will win it all.
