Cardboard Cameos: Kobe Bryant and a rare moment caught
In this story:
When it comes to the grand stage of the postseason, notable names from other sports often show up to take in the raucous action and support their counterparts.
The powerhouse Dodgers would go on to lose the 2018 World Series in five, proving no match for the Boston Red Sox, capturing their fourth championship over 15 years. Los Angeles' lone victory came in Game 3, an 18-inning marathon at Dodger Stadium. The following night, LA took a commanding 4-0 lead in the sixth inning, thanks to a towering blast off the bat of the occasionally enigmatic Yasiel Puig that landed in the left-field bleachers, a three-run shot that sent the crowd of 53,000-plus into a frenzy.
The Card
Although Boston would mount a late-game comeback that included five runs in the ninth, Puig's homer was a shining moment in an otherwise disappointing Fall Classic for the National League--enough so that it was immortalized on a Topps Now card the next day. While the Cuban slugger's reaction to the big bomb is captured perfectly on the front, it's the rear of this keepsake that makes it truly special.
Black Mamba Loved Baseball
A metropolis awash in sports history, the City of Angels has no shortage of superstar athletes among its ranks, spanning generations. One of its most beloved is the late Kobe Bryant, an 18-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion who spent his entire two decades in the league donning Lakers purple and gold.
A staunch supporter of LA's other clubs, Bryant had a front-row seat to the October magic that night, wearing a No. 8 Dodgers jersey and cheering wildly in the background as Puig began his trot around the bases. Celebrities sitting field level at Dodger Stadium is a common occurrence, but capturing an iconic player like Kobe exuding sheer joy, standing out from the crowd, makes this one of the most unique cardboard cameos to be found in any era.
Short Print Run Cards
With a print run of only 446, a raw version of the 2018 Topps Now #947 recently sold for a shade over $1k, while a BGS 9.5 fetched $1,500 on eBay in the spring of 2024. It won't come cheap, but this is likely a safe bet when it comes to long-term investing or adding a very cool card to a personal collection.
Scott Orgera is a sportswriter and statistician with more than three decades of experience. He has covered thousands of MLB and NFL games, along with most other major sports. A member of the BBWAA, his bylines appear in the Associated Press, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and Forbes, among others. He also co‑authored 976‑1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground. Having worked card shows with his family in the 1980s, Scott has remained active in the hobby ever since and now owns a card and memorabilia shop just outside New York City.