Rick Carlisle, an Underrated All-Time Coach? A Look at His Rookie Cards
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Rick Carlisle is headed to the NBA Finals as a coach for the second time in his career. Only three coaches in NBA history have won titles with two different teams: Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, and Alex Hannum. Carlisle could become the fourth coach to accomplish the feat.
Rick Carlisle led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 NBA Championship, spurred by a Dirk Nowitzki-led team that upset the Miami Heat, who were making their first of four consecutive Finals appearances. Now, he's leading the Indiana Pacers to their first Finals in 25 years.
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"Pop is the greatest coach I've played for, but the highest IQ and the smartest coach I've played for is definitely Rick Carlisle X's and O's it's not even close."
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 28, 2025
-@DaTrillStak5 on the impact of #Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle pic.twitter.com/zBRZDTbQlh
While the Pacers are an underdog to Western Conference champion Oklahoma City, they shouldn't be counted out. Carlisle is no stranger to coaching a Finals underdog.
Before his success as a coach, Carlisle played five seasons in the NBA. He won a championship as a member of the 1986 Boston Celtics. He retired with 188 game appearances, averaging 2.2 points per game, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
His stint in the NBA was enough to earn him a rookie card, which appears in the 1984-85 Star Co. set. Carlisle has two cards in two different sets. Carlisle's true rookie card is in the 1984-85 Star set. It is Card No. 4, and it is not an inexpensive card. The 84-85 Star cards were printed in limited quantities. Carlisle's card sells for about $50 on eBay.
According to Cardboard Connection: "...it is believed that less than 8,000 total sets were produced in '84-85 Star, with some estimates putting the total as low as 3,000 of each team set."
The team set refers to a second set of cards made for select teams, also released in the 1984-1985 season, also known as Star 'Arena' sets. These sets were distributed during game days, with approximately 3,000 sets of each team believed to have been printed.
Carlisle's card is #3 of 9. It is also a rookie card, though the true rookie card designation goes to the card released from the main Star Co. set.
While Carlisle's Star Arena card is scarcer, it sells for slightly less than his Star Rookie card. One can find the card for about $40 on eBay.
With a Finals triumph with the Pacers, Carlisle will solidify himself as a future Hall of Famer. Despite being a big underdog, one would be wise to hedge their bets when going against Carlisle.
Horacio is an avid sports card collector and writes about trending card auctions and news across several major hobby sites, including Sports Collectors Daily and Collectibles on SI.
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