What Topps’ Return to Licensed Basketball Cards in 2025 Means for Collectors
Key Takeaways
- Panini was awarded the exclusive NBA sports card license in 2009, ending a long-standing relationship between Topps and the NBA.
- Now, Topps will start producing licensed basketball cards again in October 2025 after working out a new deal with the NBA.
- Topps is expected to begin rolling out NBA card collections like Chrome, Cosmic Chrome, Finest, Three, and Dynasty before 2025 ends.
LeBron James was still trying to win his first NBA championship the last time Topps held the exclusive NBA card license. In early 2009, the NBA revealed it was giving Panini this license, severing a relationship with Topps dating back to the early 1990s.
Since then, LeBron has gone on to win four rings, while Panini has served as the sole provider of officially licensed NBA sports cards. But now, Panini has since lost its license, and Topps is slated to take over and begin producing licensed basketball cards again in 2025.
See what this change could mean for collectors below.
When Did Topps Lose Its Exclusive NBA License?
Topps lost its exclusive basketball license for sports cards following the 2009-10 NBA season. The NBA announced its licensing deal with Panini in January 2009, but it didn’t kick in until the following year.
The NBA’s licensing agreement with Panini didn’t stop Topps from producing basketball cards, though. However, it did prevent the iconic sports card company from featuring NBA teams’ names and logos, as well as players’ names and numbers.
The NBA’s deal with Panini also made Topps basketball cards less desirable to many collectors at the time.
When Will Topps’ Exclusive NBA License Take Effect?
Topps’ exclusive NBA license is set to take effect on October 1, 2025. The company confirmed this during the 2025 Topps Industry Conference in Atlanta in April, and they will begin producing licensed basketball cards at that time.
How Does Having the License Benefit Topps?
Topps secured its exclusive basketball license by reaching deals with both the league and the National Basketball Players Association. They allow Topps to:
- Use trademarked NBA team names and logos
- Utilize photographs of players and display their names
This should also end the controversy that has swirled around some of Topps’ unlicensed NBA sports cards in recent years. In 2024, this highly sought-after 1/1 Victor Wembanyama card stirred up speculation among collectors over how much unlicensed basketball cards like this one should be worth. Some valued it at $1 million, while others argued against it coming anywhere close to the million-dollar mark.
The Topps takeover should silence these arguments once and for all, helping collectors reach a consensus on NBA card valuations.
Which NBA Products Is Topps Expected to Release?
Topps hasn’t yet revealed which products specifically will await collectors. Here are the NBA sports card collections that Topps is expected to release:
- Topps Chrome
- Topps Cosmic Chrome
- Topps Finest
- Topps Three
- Topps Dynasty
Additionally, the rumor mill has suggested that Topps may release licensed autographs from NBA legends, like LeBron James, and up-and-coming NBA rookies, like Cooper Flagg.
How Does This Impact Collectors?
Topps’ return to licensed NBA basketball cards in 2025 could impact card collectors in a few ways. For starters, it could make the company’s current crop of unlicensed NBA cards more valuable over time, thanks to the nostalgia factor.
Reports have revealed that collectors should also anticipate an onslaught of NBA cards and collections from Topps as soon as its basketball license activates on October 1. The company will likely stagger its releases, but collectors shouldn’t expect Topps to waste too much time getting back into the game.
Get Your Hands On the Latest Topps NBA Cards
Whether you’ve been collecting NBA cards for years and remember when Topps lost the exclusive NBA license 15 years ago, or you’re just getting involved with collecting basketball cards, Giant Sports Cards has you covered from A-Z. Unbox Your Love Of The Game™ by scooping up current Topps’ 2025 basketball cases!