1988 Starting Lineup Basketball Cards Checklist and Details

By Ryan Cracknell | Hobby Editor

If you collected Starting Lineup figures, you probably collected cards already or didn’t care about them. Either way, the cards that came with the toys were often tossed aside — that is if they managed to survive the bending and tearing of the blister package. Today, that overlooked status and destructive attitude bodes well for the 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball card set, one that has some nice early cards from a few of the game’s legends.

While the figures were the draw, the cards were an extra, kind of like the surprise in the bottom of a box of Cracker Jacks. But back then, the figures were novel. They were 3-D. You could put them on a shelf, play with them and recreate  SportsCenter highlights to your heart’s content — as long as it didn’t involve posing the figures or even nailing the likenesses. The Starting Lineups were the draw, the cards were a toss in.

At the time, there weren’t a lot of basketball cards on the market. That would soon change over the next couple of years, but at the time Fleer was the only company making a mainstream NBA card product.

The 1988-89 Fleer Basketball checklist is a solid one. In addition to an early Michael Jordan, there are Rookie Cards of John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman and more.

The 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball cards checklist isn’t quite as deep, but it is comparable. That includes Rookie Card alternatives for Stockton, Miller and Pippen. Of course, it also means Michael Jordan.

In total the 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball checklist had 85 figures with the corresponding cards. On top of those were five additional cards for figures that were never released. Instead, the unissued cards were given to hobby dealers as a promotional tool.

Being the biggest name isn’t the only factor that goes into what the 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball cards and figures are worth. Rarity is another major factor. Not all figures were available in equal numbers. Some were also available as regional exclusives as well. That explains why cards like John Stockton and Karl Malone can be comparable in value to Michael Jordan. The Jazz figures were among those that were regional exclusives. Today, that might not be as big a deal thanks to the Internet, but the ’80s were a different time.

Perhaps the biggest barrier today for the 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball cards is condition. While it might not be too hard to track most cards down, you’re probably going to have to be flexible when it comes to shape. As the figures were what kids and collectors wanted, cards may not have been treated as kindly. It’s likely many made their way into the hands of people who didn’t even care for the cards.

Even if you grab a mint-on-card figure, it doesn’t guarantee the card will be in top condition. The packaging isn’t exactly the most durable, either.

But when you’re a collector, the hunt is part of the challenge. And whether you’re looking for a premier single of a marquee player or chasing the full set of almost 100 cards, 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball cards certainly offer that challenge.

Most Valuable 1988 Starting Lineup Basketball Cards

Rankings are based on the Beckett Basketball Card Database and Price Guide.

Want to add a specific card to your collection? Click on the link to see what’s on eBay.

1. John Stockton
2. Karl Malone
3. Michael Jordan
4. Muggsy Bogues*
5. Charles Oakley*
6. Reggie Miller
7. Thurl Bailey
8. Mark Eaton
9. Reggie Theus*
10. Scottie Pippen

* note unissued cards that were given direct to dealers.

1988 Starting Lineup Basketball Checklist

85 cards.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
Michael Adams, Denver Nuggets
Mark Aguirre, Dallas Mavericks
Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics
Thurl Bailey, Utah Jazz
Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers
Walter Berry, San Antonio Spurs
Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
Rolando Blackman, Dallas Mavericks
Michael Cage, Los Angeles Clippers
Joe Barry Carroll, Houston Rockets
Tom Chambers, Seattle SuperSonics
Maurice Cheeks, Philadelphia 76ers
Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers
Terry Cummings, Milwaukee Bucks
Adrian Dantley, Detroit Pistons
Brad Daugherty, Cleveland Cavaliers
Johnny Dawkins, San Antonio Spurs
Clyde Drexler, Portland Trail Blazers
Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz
Dale Ellis, Seattle SuperSonics
Alex English, Denver Nuggets
Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks
Sleepy Floyd, Houston Rockets
Winston Garland, Golden State Warriors
Armon Gilliam, Phoenix Suns
Mike Gminski, Philadelphia 76ers
David Greenwood, San Antonio Spurs
Derek Harper, Dallas Mavericks
Ron Harper, Cleveland Cavaliers
Rod Higgins, Golden State Warriors
Dennis Hopson, New Jersey Nets
Jeff Hornacek, Phoenix Suns
Mark Jackson, New York Knicks
Dennis Johnson, Boston Celtics
Eddie Johnson, Phoenix Suns
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
Steve Johnson, Portland Trail Blazers
Vinnie Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
Bernard King, Washington Bullets
Bill Laimbeer, Detroit Pistons
Lafayette Lever, Denver Nuggets
Jeff Malone, Washington Bullets
Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
Moses Malone, Washington Bullets
Danny Manning, Los Angeles Clippers
Rodney McCray, Houston Rockets
Xavier McDaniel, Seattle SuperSonics
Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics
Derrick McKey, Seattle SuperSonics
Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers
Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks
Chris Mullin, Golden State Warriors
Akeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
Robert Parish, Boston Celtics
John Paxson, Chicago Bulls
Sam Perkins, Dallas Mavericks
Chuck Person, Indiana Pacers
Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls
Terry Porter, Portland Trail Blazers
Paul Pressey, Milwaukee Bucks
Mark Price, Cleveland Cavaliers
Doc Rivers, Atlanta Hawks
Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs
Cliff Robinson, Philadelphia 76ers
Ralph Sampson, Golden State Warriors
Danny Schayes, Denver Nuggets
Jack Sikma, Milwaukee Bucks
Kenny Smith, Sacramento Kings
Steve Stipanovich, Indiana Pacers
John Stockton, Utah Jazz
Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
Lasalle Thompson, Sacramento Kings
Otis Thorpe, Sacramento Kings
Wayman Tisdale, Indiana Pacers
Kiki Vandeweghe, Portland Trail Blazers
Spud Webb, Atlanta Hawks
Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks
Gerald Wilkins, New York Knicks
Buck Williams, New Jersey Nets
John Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Reggie Williams, Los Angeles Clippers
Kevin Willis, Atlanta Hawks
James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers

Unissued Cards

These 5 cards were given directly to dealers and didn’t come with figures.

Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, Washington Bullets
Walter Davis, Phoenix Suns
Charles Oakley, Chicago Bulls
Reggie Theus, Sacramento Kings
Orlando Woolridge, New Jersey Nets