Topps Chrome Basketball Through the Years
In this story:
The hype surrounding 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball is real. Collectors are eagerly awaiting the release of the product, and many have already pre-ordered their boxes. With this year's release marking the first in 15 years, here is a look back some of the iconic designs and evolution of the product over the years.
The featured years include: 1996-97, 2003-04, and 2009-10.
RELATED: First images of star filled Topps Chrome basketball released
1996-97 Topps Chrome starts the beginning of the brand for the Basketball hobby
The first year for Topps Chrome in the Basketball realm was 1996-97. The checklist for the set is very strong, featuring rookies of iconic players like Allen Iverson and Steve Nash. However, the grail card of the set would be the Kobe Bryant RC, #138 in the set. If the Kobe rookie grades highly, it can fetch a good amount of money. Recently, a PSA 10 sold on eBay for $11,211.
RELATED: 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball: Wemby, Flagg, and other chase cards
The 1996-97 set also has memorable inserts, such as Youthquake and Season's Best. Not to mention, the hobby-favorite Refractor parallel exists for every player in the set, and is also the only parallel, putting a premium on those copies.
2003-04 Topps Chrome contains key rookies and legends of NBA History
The 2003-04 set features a clean design, with player info, team logo, and other information at the bottom of the card. The set has some of the essential rookies of recent memory in the hobby, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. James is still active in the NBA, and his card values reflect this. A PSA 10 of his rookie sold recently for $6,456.
RELATED: Topps Chrome FrozenFractor inserts: a look at the best
By this release, some additional parallels were added on that have stood the test of time in the hobby. These include the Black Refractor and the Gold Refractor. These can be very collectable, especially when a rookie or NBA legend is on the card. Autographs and x-fractors also make appearances in the product.
2009-10 Topps Chrome features an iconic Golden State Warriors RC
The 2009-10 Topps Chrome set was techincally an insert within the 09-10 flagship Topps release. All of the base cards in the Chrome insert set are serial numbered to /999, giving an added sense of rarity to the set. While the checklist has the stars of the time period, the main chase card is the Stephen Curry RC. Up to this point, the Superfactor has never surfaced. Back in November, a PSA 10 of Curry's Chrome rookie sold for $29,600.
Despite only being randomly inserted into packs, the Gold Refractors remain part of the lineage in this release, along with Printing Plates.
Topps Chrome Basketball has a storied history, with many key players having Chrome rookie cards. Among them include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry. While there are others, the focus will soon turn to this year's rookie class and the 2025-26 version of the product. It is much anticipated by collectors, and could contain the next key rookie in the history of Topps Chrome.
Dylan is a collector based in Central Pennsylvania, and sports fan rooting for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Pirates, and LA Lakers. He is currently attempting to collect a complete run of Topps flagship sets across football, baseball, and basketball. He is passionate about the history of the hobby including its continual growth and evolution.