1969-70 Topps Basketball kicks off the company’s first extended run with the sport — and it does so in a big way. One of the most iconic sets of all-time, collectors will find rookie cards from several Hall of Famers plus early cards from all-time greats.
1969-70 Topps Basketball Checklist Details
The first thing that many notice about 1969-70 Topps Basketball is its size. The set takes on a tall boy format. Cards stick with the traditional 2 1/2″ width but they’re up significantly from the usual 3 1/2″ to 4 11/16″. The design is a lively one with players positioned inside of an oval in the center of the card with four different cartoon illustrations arranged around the outside.
As for the checklist, it consists of 99 cards. Wilt Chamberlain leads things off while a checklist bookends it. Both rank among the most valuable 1969-70 Topps Basketball cards in part because of their content but also because they bear the brunt of a lot of wear and tear from being at the top and bottom of collectors’ stacks. The checklist also has practical implications as back in the day many would get marked up.
The Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) rookie card is easily the most valuable 1969-70 Topps Basketball card. It’s one of the sport’s most iconic cards as well, particularly when you remove Michael Jordan and other modern players from the mix. Other key rookies include John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes and Walt Frazier.
In addition to the main set, the 1969-70 Topps Basketball checklist has a set of fun inserts. Rulers, which fold out to reveal cartoon illustrations of players, really lean into the larger format. With 24 Rulers in the set and just one per pack, they’re significantly more rare than standard cards.
1969-70 Topps Basketball’s Place in History
This isn’t the first set of Topps basketball cards. That was 1957-58. It’s also not the first from Topps for the sport’s long run that would last until the early 1980s. That was 1968-69 Topps Basketball. However, that was a test issue that is extremely scarce and possibly not made available to the general public. But 1969-70 was more widely available. From this point on, Topps put out basketball card sets annually for more than a decade.
1969-70 Topps Basketball Checklist
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Set size: 99 cards
Cards per pack: 11 (10 cards + 1 Ruler)
Packs per box: 24
Shop for 1969-70 boxes and packs on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
99 cards.
1 Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers
2 Gail Goodrich, Phoenix Suns RC
3 Cazzie Russell, New York Knicks RC
4 Darrall Imhoff, Philadelphia 76ers RC
5 Bailey Howell, Boston Celtics
6 Lucius Allen, Seattle SuperSonics RC
7 Tom Boerwinkle, Chicago Bulls RC
8 Jimmy Walker, Detroit Pistons RC
9 John Block, San Diego Rockets RC
10 Nate Thurmond, San Francisco Warriors RC
11 Gary Gregor, Atlanta Hawks
12 Gus Johnson, Baltimore Bullets RC
13 Luther Rackley, Cincinnati Royals
14 Jon McGlocklin, Milwaukee Bucks RC
15 Connie Hawkins, Phoenix Suns RC
16 Johnny Egan, Los Angeles Lakers
17 Jim Washington, Philadelphia 76ers
18 Dick Barnett, New York Knicks RC
19 Tom Meschery, Seattle SuperSonics
20 John Havlicek, Boston Celtics RC
21 Eddie Miles, Detroit Pistons
22 Walt Wesley, Chicago Bulls
23 Rick Adelman, San Diego Rockets RC
24 Al Attles, San Francisco Warriors
25 Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks RC
26 Jack Marin, Baltimore Bullets RC
27 Walt Hazzard, Atlanta Hawks RC
28 Connie Dierking, Cincinnati Royals
29 Keith Erickson, Los Angeles Lakers RC
30 Bob Rule, Seattle SuperSonics RC
31 Dick Van Arsdale, Phoenix Suns RC
32 Archie Clark, Philadelphia 76ers RC
33 Terry Dischinger, Detroit Pistons RC
34 Henry Finkel, Boston Celtics RC
35 Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers
36 Ron Williams, San Francisco Warriors
37 Loy Petersen, Chicago Bulls (Error – “Peterson” on back)
38 Guy Rodgers, Milwaukee Bucks
39 Toby Kimball, San Diego Rockets
40 Billy Cunningham, Philadelphia 76ers RC
41 Joe Caldwell, Atlanta Hawks RC
42 Leroy Ellis, Baltimore Bullets RC
43 Bill Bradley, New York Knicks RC
44 Len Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics (Error – “Wilkins” on front)
45 Jerry Lucas, San Francisco Warriors RC
46 Neal Walk, Phoenix Suns RC
47 Emmette Bryant, Boston Celtics RC
48 Bob Kauffman, Chicago Bulls RC
49 Mel Counts, Los Angeles Lakers RC
50 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
51 Jim Barnett, San Diego Rockets RC
52 Don Smith, Milwaukee Bucks
53 Jim Davis, Atlanta Hawks
54 Wally Jones, Philadelphia 76ers RC
55 Dave Bing, Detroit Pistons RC
56 Wes Unseld, Baltimore Bullets RC
57 Joe Ellis, San Francisco Warriors
58 John Tresvant, Seattle SuperSonics
59 Larry Siegfried, Boston Celtics RC
60 Willis Reed, New York Knicks RC
61 Paul Silas, Phoenix Suns RC
62 Bob Weiss, Chicago Bulls RC
63 Willie McCarter, Los Angeles Lakers RC
64 Don Kojis, San Diego Rockets RC
65 Lou Hudson, Atlanta Hawks RC
66 Jim King, Cincinnati Royals
67 Luke Jackson, Philadelphia 76ers RC
68 Len Chappell, Milwaukee Bucks RC
69 Ray Scott, Baltimore Bullets
70 Jeff Mullins, San Francisco Warriors RC
71 Howie Komives, Detroit Pistons
72 Tom Sanders, Boston Celtics RC
73 Dick Snyder, Seattle SuperSonics
74 Dave Stallworth, New York Knicks RC
75 Elvin Hayes, San Diego Rockets RC
76 Art Harris, Phoenix Suns
77 Don Ohl, Atlanta Hawks
78 Bob Love, Chicago Bulls RC
79 Tom Van Arsdale, Cincinnati Royals RC
80 Earl Monroe, Baltimore Bullets RC
81 Greg Smith, Milwaukee Bucks
82 Don Nelson, Boston Celtics RC
83 Happy Hairston, Detroit Pistons RC
84 Hal Greer, Philadelphia 76ers
85 Dave DeBusschere, New York Knicks RC
86 Bill Bridges, Atlanta Hawks RC
87 Herm Gilliam, Cincinnati Royals RC
88 Jim Fox, Phoenix Suns
89 Bob Boozer, Seattle SuperSonics
90 Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
91 Chet Walker, Chicago Bulls RC
92 Flynn Robinson, Milwaukee Bucks RC
93 Clyde Lee, San Francisco Warriors
94 Kevin Loughery, Baltimore Bullets RC
95 Walt Bellamy, Detroit Pistons
96 Art Williams, San Diego Rockets
97 Adrian Smith, Cincinnati Royals RC
98 Walt Frazier, New York Knicks RC
99 Checklist
Rulers Checklist
23 cards.
1 per pack.
1 Walt Bellamy, Detroit Pistons
2 Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
3 Bailey Howell, Boston Celtics
4 Elvin Hayes, San Diego Rockets
6 Bob Rule, Seattle SuperSonics
7 Gail Goodrich, Los Angeles Lakers
8 Jeff Mullins, San Francisco Warriors
9 John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
10 Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks
11 Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers
12 Nate Thurmond, San Francisco Warriors
13 Hal Greer, Philadelphia 76ers
14 Lou Hudson, Atlanta Hawks
15 Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals
16 Dave Bing, Detroit Pistons
17 Walt Frazier, New York Knicks
18 Gus Johnson, Baltimore Bullets
19 Willis Reed, New York Knicks
20 Earl Monroe, Baltimore Bullets
21 Billy Cunningham, Philadelphia 76ers
22 Wes Unseld, Baltimore Bullets
23 Bob Boozer, Chicago Bulls
24 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
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