Top 5 Iconic 'Pistol' Pete Maravich Cards to Collect
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No basketball legend put up numbers as absurd as Pete Maravich during his three-year college career at LSU.
He still holds the record for the most points in NCAA men's basketball history with 3,667, which he accumulated in just three years at LSU. He averaged an insane 44.2 points per game, and he scored every point without the help of a 3-point line or a shot clock.
To help put that into perspective, consider this: Shaquille O'Neal accumulated just 1,941 points during his three-year tenure at LSU, and Michael Jordan tallied 1,788 during his three years at UNC. Let that sink in.
The only player to ever surpass Maravich was University of Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who tallied 3,951 points over 4 years, averaging 28.4 points per game.
Maravich’s greatness didn’t stop at LSU, as he went on to become one of the NBA’s most electrifying stars of the 1970s. He was a five-time NBA All-Star, led the league in scoring in 1977, and was named to both the NBA 50th Anniversary Team and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Recently, the Maravich market has seen fantastic year-over-year growth, up 94%. And this is despite a 20% dip over the last three months. Below, we've outlined the five most valuable Pistol Pete cards to collect.
5. 1973 Topps Pete Maravich #130
Highest Sale: $51,240 - A PSA 10 on December 19, 2025
The 1973 Topps Maravich card is a bit of an oddball with the base card and a floating circle in the upper right that looks a little comic book-esque, but this NBA All-Star card is the fifth-highest-selling Maravich card of all time. These cards are notoriously hard to find with good centering, and the population of PSA 10s is just two.
The last sale of a PSA 10 was back in November 2022 when it sold for $15,600.
4. 1971 Topps Pete Maravich #55
Highest Sale: $61,000 - A PSA 10 on December 19, 2025
The 1971 Topps Maravich card features a sleek design and psychedelic lettering, but it's among the most valuable for Pistol Pete. This second-year Maravich card with a Gem Mint grade is consistently at the top for this early '70s set, along with Rick Barry's rookie card. Unopened boxes have even sold for as much as $93,000.
In February 2026, shortly after the $61K sale, a PSA 10 sold for $31,720, so the December '25 sale looks like an outlier, but this card is still a top pick for Pistol Pete collectors.
3. 1972 Topps Pete Maravich #5
Highest Sale: $66,000 - A PSA 10 on April 3, 2022
With its instantly recognizable design, the 1972 Topps set is one of the most beloved by vintage basketball card collectors. It features some great rookies, like Phil Jackson, Artis Gilmore, and Julius Erving. Despite those strong rookie names, the Maravich card is always near or at the top for collectors.
The PSA 10 Maravich has a population of just seven, and while the highest sale was back in 2022, a December 19, 2025, sale closed at $59,170. As high-grade vintage basketball cards continue gaining momentum, this card feels destined for another major sale.
2. 1976 Topps Pete Maravich All Star Card #130
Highest Sale: $70,150 - A PSA 10 on December 19, 2025
The only card on the list featuring Pistol Pete as a member of the Jazz, the 1976 Topps Maravich All-Star card, sits as the second-highest-selling card. These oversized cards, measuring 5 1/4” by 3 1/8”, were dubbed "Super-Size Cards" by Topps.
Due to their size, these cards are very difficult to find in high grades, and there are only three PSA 10s for Pistol Pete. The last PSA 10 Maravich All-Star sale closed at $12,000 on June 4, 2023.
1. 1970 Topps Pete Maravich Rookie Card #123
Highest Sale: $730,000 - A PSA 10 on October 30, 2025
At the top of the list (and by a huge margin) is Maravich's rookie card from the 1970 Topps set. These tall and skinny cards, sometimes referred to as "tall boys," measure 4 11/16" by 2 1/2" and, like the 1976 set, are prone to damage due to their size, making high-end graded copies difficult to find.
There are only two PSA 10 Maravich rookie cards, and prior to the $730K sale, the next most recent was a $330K sale on April 9, 2025.
Between his legendary college career, iconic “tall boy” rookie, and ultra-low PSA 10 populations, Pete Maravich cards continue to stand out as cornerstone pieces in vintage basketball collecting.
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Conor is a leading sports collectibles writer and market analyst with more than 100 published articles covering sports cards, Pokémon, auctions, investing trends, and hobby culture. A lifelong collector who entered the hobby in the early 1990s, Conor’s expertise centers on vintage and modern basketball cards, basketball icons, and iconic Boston sports memorabilia tied to legends like Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz.