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Best Tim Duncan rookie cards

Key rookie card: 1997-98 Topps #115. 20 rookie cards, every one below.

Updated October 21, 2026

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His top 5 cards

Full checklist

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Which Tim Duncan card is the real rookie card?

Tim Duncan's key rookie card is the 1997-98 Topps #115. Tim Duncan was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. The checklist below lists 20 rookie cards by card number, each row from a cited source.

Duncan's 1997-98 rookie season had no exclusive NBA card maker: Topps (Topps, Topps Chrome, Bowman's Best, Finest, Stadium Club), Fleer/SkyBox (Fleer, Ultra, Hoops, Flair Showcase, Metal Universe, E-X2001, SkyBox Premium, Z-Force) and Upper Deck (Upper Deck, SP Authentic, SPx, Collector's Choice) all issued licensed rookie cards; Cardboard Connection documents 18 entries. Finest used tiered numbering, so his Finest RCs are #101, #306 and #325. Parallels such as Topps Chrome Refractors, Flair Showcase Rows and Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems (numbered to 100) share the base card numbers. Earlier Collector's Edge, Score Board, Wheels and Press Pass cards are not counted here.

Sources: cgcgrading.com, Cardboard Connection.

Tim Duncan's career, in brief

  • Played 19 seasons, 1997 to 2016, all with the San Antonio Spurs.
  • 1998 Rookie of the Year; 26,496 points and 15,091 rebounds in his career.
  • Five NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), two MVP awards and three Finals MVPs.
  • Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Career facts: [1]

His top 5, card by card

Full checklist: 20 rookie cards, 30 total

20 rookie cards and 10 other cards with card numbers, each from the checklist linked on its row. A row marked "one source" is printed by one checklist site only. Parallels are counted, not listed.

Show all 30 cards

Checklist sources, checked 2026-10-15: cgcgrading.com, Panini, Cardboard Connection, Checklist Insider, Checklist Center.

Graded: PSA 10, BGS and CGC explained

A PSA 10 (Gem Mint) or BGS 9.5 is the top grade most collectors look for: sharp corners, clean edges, centered printing and an unmarked surface. A graded card and a raw one are different cards to look up. How the four graders compare and what PSA grading costs.

  • 1997-98 Metal Universe #66 cards tend to chip and flake, so well-preserved copies are scarce (source: CGC).

How PSA, CGC and Beckett grade

PSA

Top grades:
Gem Mint 10, then Mint 9 and NM-MT 8.
Half grades:
1.5 through 8.5 since February 2008; there is no PSA 9.5.

One overall grade on the label. Centering weighs heavily in it.

Source: Sports Collectors Digest on PSA's half grades

CGC

Top grades:
Pristine 10 (virtually flawless, 50/50 centering), then Gem Mint 10 and Mint+ 9.5.
Half grades:
Yes, from Fair 1.5 up to Mint+ 9.5.

Authentic (AU) for a genuine card that cannot take a number; Authentic Altered (AA) for one that was altered.

Source: CGC grading scale

Beckett (BGS)

Top grades:
Pristine 10; a Black Label Pristine 10 has a 10 in all four subgrades.
Half grades:
Yes, 1 to 10 in half points.

Four subgrades on the label: centering, corners, edges and surface.

Source: Beckett grading

Grading scales as each grader describes them, checked Oct 16, 2026.

Listing counts and lookups this week

Tim Duncan market data

Counts and lookups, not prices over time
Listed on eBay right now
His key card...Lowest ask, key card...All his cards...eBay listings now. Never stored.
Collector attention
10,718 lookups this week, up 21% on the week before30 daysWikipedia lookups, week to Oct 20
His checklist
30 cards: 20 RCs, no autos, none numbered /99 or lowerParlae checklist, every sourced card

Collector attention

Collector attention: up 21% this week, up 2% over 30 days

Tim Duncan card questions (7)

What is Tim Duncan's rookie card?

Tim Duncan's first licensed base rookie card is the 1997-98 Topps #115. The first chromium rookie card is the 1997-98 Topps Chrome #115. Tim Duncan's rookie season was 1997-98.

What year is Tim Duncan's rookie card?

Tim Duncan's rookie season was 1997-98, so the rookie cards carry that year.

How many rookie cards does Tim Duncan have?

Our checklist lists 20 Tim Duncan rookie cards with card numbers, each from a cited source. It is not every parallel or color variation.

How much is a Tim Duncan rookie card worth?

Parlae does not print card values. Find the year, set, card number, parallel and grade on your card, then check eBay sold listings or eBay's price guide for that exact card.
Cheapest on eBay now

Are collectors watching Tim Duncan right now?

Collector attention is rising: Wikipedia lookups of Tim Duncan are up 21% this week. That is attention, not a price.

What is Tim Duncan's Topps Chrome rookie card?

The 1997-98 Topps Chrome #115, per the checklist cited on this page.

Does Tim Duncan have a PSA 10?

PSA's population report says how many PSA 10s exist of each card; Parlae does not reprint it. To see PSA 10 copies listed now, tap the PSA 10 chip at the top of this page.

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Card facts checked 2026-10-15. Parlae prints no card values. Set and brand names belong to their makers; Parlae is not affiliated with them.

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By the Parlae deskCard data updated Oct 21, 2026 at 3:22 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number