Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 2006-07 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs #ADL-AB BGS 8.5/9 Autograph | 1-of-1 | Game-Used Patches | On-Card Autographs

Two unabashed greats, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant have a permanent place in basketball lore and Los Angeles culture.

Combining for ten titles in Hollywood, Kobe and Kareem defined what being a Laker meant while also earning a place among the most revered and feared athletes in sports history. Despite playing in different eras, the two shared a bond and found themselves in close company during critical moments in their career. Kareem had known Kobe as a child through Bryant’s father Joe, a frequent competitor over his own eight-year NBA career. During the most famous game of Kobe’s career, his legendary 81-point night against the Toronto Raptors, Kareem, an assistant coach for the Lakers, was there to marvel at the feat. 

The bond the two shared would last through the rest of their lives, and still resonates today. Speaking at the emotional unveiling of Bryant’s statue in Los Angeles after his passing, Abdul-Jabbar kept his comments short but impactful: “this is what excellence looks like.”

On June 4, 2004, the world of sports cards changed forever. On this date, Upper Deck released the first year of Exquisite Collection Basketball. Released at what was then the jaw-dropping price of $500 for five cards, 20-years on this product line continues to be a byword for excellence in high-end trading cards.

The crossover between what would become perhaps the single most premier product in the hobby and the entry of one of its most transformational stars into the NBA was no coincidence. The creator of Exquisite Collection, Karvin Cheung, had been looking for the right player to serve as the centerpiece for a new high-end set that would feature highly-limited rookie patch autographs. Cheung has cited the moment he saw LeBron James on the cover of Sports Illustrated in February 2002, under the headline “Chosen One”, as the moment that he knew he had his player. What followed was history: in its time, Exquisite Collection Basketball has seen records tumble and captured worldwide fascination, becoming the cornerstone of many of the most important trading card collections and earning a place on the Mount Rushmore of trading card sets for many enthusiasts.

The 2004-05 product introduced dual logoman autographs and triple logoman cards in Exquisite. Collectors understood that many of the best cards available each season for their favorite NBA rookies, stars, and legends would be found in Exquisite. In the decades since, NBA fans have come to expect just as much excellence from the product as they would from its standard-bearer.

This card also commemorates Kobe’s dominant 2006-07 season, during which, for the second straight year, he led the league in scoring, averaging 31.6 points per game. Despite falling to the Phoenix Suns in the opening round, Bryant also led the league in playoff scoring, averaging 32.8 points per game.

At the time of cataloging, only three officially licensed NBA trading cards have featured game-used Logoman patches from Kareem. His lone singular Logoman, released in the 2009-10 Panini Timeless Treasures, includes a sticker autograph. The other two examples come in the form of the dual Logoman featured here and a triple Logoman from 2008-09 Exquisite Collection, which pairs him with Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins.

This card has been authenticated and deemed to be in Near Mint-Mint+ condition, receiving a grade of 8.5 from Beckett Grading Services (BGS). The front of the card features two on-card autographs and two game-worn NBA logoman patches. The script "1 of 1" stamp emphasizes its unduplicated nature.

The BGS certificate number for this card is: 0013093424.

Going Deeper - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Growing up in Harlem as Lewis “Lew” Alcindor, he was raised in an environment and time that saw African Americans fight for their voice in society. While he was breaking records and taking control over New York basketball on the court, off it he spent time writing and began to shape himself as an activist of the Black Power movement.

Possibly the greatest high school basketball talent to date, he was afforded the opportunity to play wherever and with whoever he wanted, including non-collegiate options such as the Harlem Globetrotters and overseas teams. While many pursued him, including Southern schools willing to break the color barrier for him, he chose to move to the west coast and join John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins dynasty. 

After his excellent sophomore campaign in Westwood, Alcindor made himself fully known to the world as an activist. The college star appeared alongside professional greats such as Bill Russell and Jim Brown at the Cleveland Summit, a meeting of some of the top Black athletes in the country who came together to support Muhammad Ali’s refusal to enter the draft for the Vietnam War.

The big man was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1969 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and immediately paid dividends by winning Rookie of the Year, being selected as an All-Star, and earning a top-three finish for league MVP. Coming off that otherworldly debut season, Alcindor ascended to becoming the league’s best player in the 1970-71 season winning MVP, leading the league in scoring, and driving the Bucks to their first ever title. In the wake of the championship, he was invited on a three-week basketball focused tour of Africa alongside the state department and, in front of the press, announced himself to the world for the first time by a name he had taken privately years before: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

While Kareem would win two more MVPs over the next four seasons in Wisconsin, he grew to be discontent with life in the Midwest and, following the 1974-75 season, coaxed a trade to join the Los Angeles Lakers. In LA, Kareem turned his legendary status into something closer to a basketball deity. Across fourteen seasons with the “Showtime” Lakers, he would win three more MVPs, capture a stunning five titles alongside Magic Johnson, and in 1984 he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s career scoring record entrenching himself as among the greatest basketball players in history.

Going Deeper - Kobe Bryant

After three consecutive Laker championships from 2000-2002, the legendary tandem of Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal was disbanded when Shaq was dealt to the Miami Heat in 2004. With Kobe firmly in the driver's seat of the Lakers offense, he quickly established himself as one of the premier scorers the game has ever seen. 

Between 2005 and the end of his career, Kobe put on a plethora of jaw-dropping scoring displays: 62 points against the Mavericks, 81 points against the Raptors (2nd all-time in NBA history) 55 here, 60 there. It seemed that any night could provide NBA fans with a dominant performance – a scoring clinic. 

Kobe won back-to-back scoring titles in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and achieved NBA League MVP honors in the 2007-08 season, the only regular season MVP of his career. After being joined by Pau Gasol, Kobe led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2008, 2009, 2010) and two NBA championships (2009 and 2010), earning Finals MVP honors on both occasions. 

Kobe ended his historic career with one last shining moment in 2016. In his final game in the NBA, a 37-year old Bryant willed the Lakers to a come-from-behind victory, scoring 60 points and hitting the game-winning shot in the process. The performance was surreal, the perfect bow on the gift that was watching Kobe play. A nod to the basketball greats, a demonstration of a love for the game, deep-rooted and palpable. 

In 2021, Kobe Bryant was posthumously recognized as a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team along with being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Lakers organization retired both numbers he wore during his career, 24 and 8.