1971 Rookie Cards
9 rookie cards across Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Football. Sorted by estimated gem mint value.
1971-72 Topps Pete Maravich #133 RC
Pistol Pete's most important card. Maravich is still the NCAA all-time scoring leader (44.2 PPG) and averaged 44.0 points per game in 1976-77 with New Orleans — still the highest single-season average in NBA history for a guard.
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee Guy Lafleur #148
The Flower. Six consecutive 50-goal seasons and the most exciting player of the 1970s. His flowing hair and speed defined an era.
1971-72 Topps Dave Cowens RC #47
The rookie card of the red-haired warrior who became the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1970s. Cowens shared Rookie of the Year honors with Geoff Petrie and immediately established himself as one of the most intense and physical centers in the league, despite being undersized at 6-foot-9.
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee Ken Dryden RC #45
The legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender's rookie card. Dryden won the Conn Smythe Trophy before winning the Calder Trophy — the only player to accomplish that feat. His six Stanley Cups in eight years define the greatest dynasty in hockey history.
1971-72 Topps Tiny Archibald #29
The Topps rookie card of Tiny Archibald. At just 6-1 and 150 pounds, he was one of the smallest great players in NBA history, using speed and craftiness to dominate much larger defenders.
1971 Topps Bert Blyleven #26
Bert Blyleven possessed the best curveball in baseball history. His 1971 Topps rookie card is a key vintage issue. He threw 3,701 strikeouts and 60 shutouts over 22 seasons, finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
1971-72 Topps Dan Issel #200
Dan Issel 1971-72 Topps RC. The Horse scored 27,482 combined ABA/NBA points — one of only a handful of players to crack 27,000 across both leagues. He was the Kentucky Colonels all-time leading scorer before joining the Denver Nuggets.
1971 Topps Mel Blount RC #49
Mel Blount was so dominant that the NFL changed its rules in 1978 to limit contact with receivers, creating the "Mel Blount Rule." His 1971 Topps rookie card is a key Steel Curtain issue.
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee Guy Lapointe #145
Guy Lapointe formed the legendary "Big Three" defense with Larry Robinson and Serge Savard — the greatest defensive trio in NHL history. His 1971-72 OPC card captures the beginning of a career that would yield six Stanley Cups with Montreal.