Topps 3 NBA: rare Flagg, Tatum & Banchero triple auto card of Duke Alums
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In the upcoming Topps 3 basketball product, collectors can chase a triple relic-auto off Jayson Tatum, Cooper Flagg, and Paolo Banchero, all alumni of the basketball powerhouse Duke University. It's the first time these three have been featured on an autographed card together, and gives collectors a peak into the creativity Topps could be using in future products.
THE BROTHERHOOD 😈
— Topps (@Topps) January 20, 2026
Jayson Tatum, Cooper Flagg, and Paolo Banchero united for their first NBA triple-autograph card 🔥
Arriving soon in Topps 3! pic.twitter.com/Srm8dl9Gib
Same school, different times
While all three have the experience of playing for Duke, they were each at the school at different times.
Cooper Flagg (2024-2025)
The youngest, and most recent Duke on the list is Cooper Flagg. Flagg played for the Blue Devils during the 2024-2025 season under coach Jon Scheyer. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 37 games. Flagg played one season and decided to enter the NBA draft and was taken No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks.
Jayson Tatum (2016-2017)
Jayson Tatum played in Durham during the 2016-2017 season. He played in 29 games, and he averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists at Duke. Tatum opted for the NBA draft after one season in college. Thanks to a draft-day trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum ended up with the Boston Celtics when they took him with the No. 3 overall pick in 2017. Tatum is the only one on the list to not be picked No. 1 overall. He's also the only one who played for the iconic Mike Krzyzewski.
Paolo Banchero (2021-2022)
The last man on the card is Paolo Banchero. Banchero played 39 games for Duke during the 2021-2022 season and averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Banchero also forfeited his remaining college eligibility years to declare for the 2022 NBA Draft, where the Orlando Magic selected him with the No. 1 overall pick.
Topps 3 Basketball
Topps 3, according to the product website, is a higher-end product produced by the card company. As the name suggests, it is built around the number three. Included in a box is three autographed or autographed-relic cards, plus and insert or base of a current or veteran player.
This is the second iteration of Topps 3. First released during the 2023-2024 season, Topps skipped last season, presumably to wait for Fanatics to acquire the licensure. The 2025-26 version looks night and day different. In the first set, the cards featured just a bust image of the player, with the autograph and patch. This year, the designs are very creative and feature abstract colors and fonts. Not to mention the variety of inserts.
A release date or pre-order date have yet to be announced.
After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz