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SUMMARY:hakeem-olajuwon-1998-99-flair-showcase-legacy-collection-1-of-1-mas
 terpiece-row-2-45m-psa-9-1-of-1-mba-gold-diamond - Date de vente : 30/09/2
 025
DESCRIPTION:Nom du lots : Hakeem Olajuwon 1998-99 Flair Showcase Legacy Col
 lection 1 of 1 Masterpiece Row 2 #45M PSA 9 | 1 of 1 | MBA Gold Diamond\n\
 nProfessional Sports Authenticator\, PSA\, 9 Mint\, sealed plastic holder\
 , Cert number: 64543479\n\nMBA Gold Diamond Sticker\, Card\n\nCardboard an
 d Plastic\n\nFor over 40 years\, the NBA had never awarded a non-American 
 player their MVP award. The league had fielded international talent since 
 its inception\, however none had been able to achieve the league’s highe
 st individual honor as of 1993.\n\nThat all changed when Hakeem Olajuwon d
 elivered his masterclass of a season in 1993-94. Already a perennial All-S
 tar and two-time blocks leader\, Olajuwon led the Rockets to the best reco
 rd in franchise history with career-high marks in scoring and assists whil
 e adding 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. For this\, Olajuwon became
  the first non-American ever to win the NBA MVP award\, a full 12 seasons 
 before the next\, Steve Nash. Olajuwon also earned Defensive Player of the
  Year honors that season and after leading the postseason in scoring and W
 in Shares became the first player in NBA history to win both awards as wel
 l as Finals MVP.\n\nOlajuwon’s historic season offered a glimpse at the 
 revolutionary wave of international talent that was in the midst of hittin
 g the NBA. Beginning with Steve Nash\, 10 of the last 21 MVPs have been aw
 arded to players born outside of the United States\, including the last se
 ven consecutively. As the game went truly global in the 1990s\, the NBA ha
 d the good fortune to include one of the best international stars the NBA 
 has ever seen.\n\nIt is fitting that the card offered is an example of a s
 imilarly revolutionary period in trading cards. The 1990s were a revolutio
 nary time in trading cards after a period characterized by mass production
 \, sometimes affectionately known as the “junk wax” era. During this p
 eriod\, some collectors began to shy away from buying new releases\, and b
 ecause of this card companies began to experiment with additional methods 
 to expand the appeal of their offerings. Newcomer Upper Deck blazed the tr
 ail immediately and offered a security hologram to help combat counterfeit
 ing with their iconic debut\, their 1989 baseball set. In 1990\, they intr
 oduced the first pack pulled autograph card ever offered in the hobby: the
  1990 Reggie Jackson numbered to 2500. This new chase also helped to intro
 duce another appealing innovation to the wider trading card community: man
 ufactured rarity.\n\nIn the years that followed\, more companies offered s
 erialized and autographed cards in packs. Companies like Fleer\, Pacific\,
  and Topps among others gave collectors the chance not only to know how ma
 ny of their cards had been made but also where theirs were in the print ru
 n. Trading card manufacturers also began to focus on expanding the variety
  of rare inserts available in trading card products\, leading to legendary
  insert sets such as Beam Team as well as new technologies like the opti-c
 hrome offerings of Finest and Topps Chrome. Collectors embraced these chan
 ges\, and soon cards with extra features and limited print runs became a r
 egular feature of trading card releases.\n\n1996-97 saw the introduction o
 f a set that would become a fan favorite\, Flair Showcase. The 90 name bas
 e checklist was broken into three rows\, yielding a base-set of 270 cards 
 that saw odds for pulling a particular entry vary based on both the row an
 d their place in the checklist. Combined with the Hot Shots insert and the
  Class of Ninety-Six insert commemorating that year’s legendary class\, 
 the product found itself a steady place in the hobby calendar thanks to it
 s eye-catching foiling and glossy finishes.\n\n1997-98 was a seminal year 
 in trading cards\, seeing the first 1 of 1 cards offered in sets like Flai
 r Showcase and Fleer Ultra. For the first time\, hobbyists could chase tru
 ly unique parallels of their favorite players.\n\n1998-99 Flair Showcase c
 ontinued the legacy\, again featuring 1 of 1 Masterpiece parallels for eac
 h of the base cards in the set. The offered example is Hakeem Olajuwon’s
  Row 2 “Passion: Showpiece” entry based on his placement in the checkl
 ist between 31-60. Row 2 was 1998-99 Flair Showcase’s second rarest base
  set configuration\, with cards in the “Passion: Showpiece” portion of
  the base version falling 1 in every 1.3 packs. Legacy Collection offered 
 parallels limited to 99\, and masterpieces were singular prints.\n\nThis c
 ard commemorates Hakeem’s last season as an upper echelon NBA star\, fea
 turing his legendary number 34 along with dazzling foil and wonderful phot
 ography. Despite turning 36 days before the start of the lockout shortened
  season\, Olajuwon still managed 18.9 points per game along with 9.6 rebou
 nds and 2.5 blocks\, earning him his final All-NBA nod. As collectors chas
 ed this card\, they could now reflect on one of the most revolutionary NBA
  careers there ever was. Olajuwon’s defensive abilities as well as his m
 obility and offensive talent and finesse played a major role in adjusting 
 the expectations for what centers were capable of and he ushered in an era
  of elite international talent that we are in the midst of to this day. Th
 is card reminds us of the place that Olajuwon holds in the eyes of many ba
 sketball fans around the world\, especially Rockets fans: singularly great
 .\n\nThe card has been awarded a PSA 9 for condition\, placing it among th
 e best conditioned examples in this set. In addition to its PSA 9 designat
 ion\, the card offers another attestation to its impeccable quality: the M
 ike Baker Authenticated (MBA) Gold Diamond. Reserved for only the top 5% o
 f quality within an assigned grade\, the MBA Gold Diamond highlights cards
  that are worthy of technical grade increases of 0.5 or more in the opinio
 n of MBA. This example earned a Mint+ 9.5 grade by MBA\, thus earning a go
 ld diamond certification at the time of cataloging. A purple foil stamp on
  the back of the card reads “The Only 1 of 1 Masterpiece\,” confirming
  its singular print run.\n\nThe PSA certificate number for this card is: 6
 4543479.\n\nThis card has also been assessed by Mike Baker Authenticated (
 MBA) and been awarded with an MBA Gold Diamond. The card is searchable on 
 the MBA website under the PSA certificate number.\n\nGoing Deeper - Hakeem
  Olajuwon\n\nThe Number 1 Pick\n\nWhen a team passes on the opportunity to
  draft a player the likes of Michael Jordan\, history usually does not rem
 ember the occasion too fondly. Portland\, who selected just before the Bul
 ls\, has long received flak from fans around the NBA for selecting Sam Bow
 ie with the second overall pick.\n\nHowever the Houston Rockets\, who held
  the first overall that year\, have avoided such a fate thanks to the worl
 d-class caliber of their selection: Hakeem Olajuwon.\n\nOlajuwon came to b
 asketball late\, playing the sport for the first time at the age of 15 tha
 nks to a fellow student\, who encouraged him to join his high school baske
 tball team for the basketball tournament at the All-Nigeria Teachers Sport
 s Festival in Sokoto.\n\nOlajuwon instantly fell in love. In his words\, 
 “Basketball is something that is so unique. That immediately I pick up t
 he game and\, you know\, realize that this is the life for me. All the oth
 er sports just become obsolete.” Shortly thereafter he was invited to wo
 rkout with the University of Houston coaching staff\, where he later enrol
 led.\n\nAfter redshirting his freshman year and coming off the bench in hi
 s first season of college basketball\, Hakeem began training with Moses Ma
 lone\, who had gone to the Finals with the Houston Rockets and would be tr
 aded to the 76ers later in 1982. Malone’s lessons helped Hakeem’s game
  progress tremendously\, and his effortless dunks earned him the nickname 
 “The Dream.”\n\nWith his improved play\, the Cougars advanced to conse
 cutive NCAA Tournament Finals\, which saw the team lose on a last-second t
 ip-in in 1983 and to Patrick Ewing and the powerhouse Georgetown Hoyas in 
 1984. Despite this\, Olajuwon was named a Consensus All-American in 1984 a
 nd weighed declaring for the NBA Draft. When it became clear that the Hous
 ton Rockets were a contender for the first overall pick\, Olajuwon threw h
 is hat in the ring\, betting that the Rockets would win the coin toss.\n\n
 The Rockets did just that and selected Olajuwon first overall in a draft c
 lass that included fellow NBA greats Michael Jordan\, Charles Barkley\, an
 d John Stockton. Olajuwon joined fellow seven-footer and future Hall of Fa
 mer Ralph Sampson\, who was Houston’s Rookie of the Year first overall p
 ick from the 1983 NBA Draft. The pair garnered the nickname “Twin Towers
 ” thanks to their formidable height\, and the Rockets saw almost immedia
 te success.\n\nOlajuwon earned his first of 12 All-Star nods and averaged 
 a double-double in his rookie season\, the first of 12 consecutive seasons
  where he did so. He also earned All-Defensive 2nd Team honors and came in
  second in Rookie of the Year voting while helping the Rockets end their p
 layoff drought. The following season\, with Sampson\, he brought the Rocke
 ts to the 1986 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics while earning All-NBA
  2nd Team honors. Olajuwon led the Playoffs in points and rebounds and pus
 hed the Celtics hard\, however Larry Bird and company ultimately won the s
 eries in six games.\n\nAs the decade progressed and Sampson was traded awa
 y following Olajuwon’s third season\, the Rockets became his team\, and 
 Olajuwon showed he was up to the challenge. By the end of the 1980s\, Olaj
 uwon led the league in rebounds for two consecutive seasons including an i
 ncredible 14 rebounds per game in 1989-90\, and led the league in blocks f
 or the first time that same year with 4.6 per game. However despite his in
 dividual success\, the Rockets struggled to make it past the first round a
 nd missed the playoffs entirely for the first time in Olajuwon’s career 
 in 1992. That summer\, disgruntled both with his contract and with the tea
 m that had been built around him\, Olajuwon requested a trade.\n\nHad his 
 request been granted\, the story of the 1990s\, especially the period in w
 hich Jordan retired for the first time\, may have played out differently. 
 Instead\, the Rockets did not grant the request and instead the season beg
 an under coach Rudy Tomjanovich\, who had been promoted midway through the
  1991-92 season. Olajuwon responded with career highs in points and assist
 s and his first Defensive Player of the Year Award\, leading the Rockets t
 o a franchise record 55 wins and a return to the playoffs\, where the Rock
 ets pushed MVP Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns to seven games before the 
 Suns ultimately won Game 7 in overtime. The Rockets solved one of Olajuwon
 ’s qualms with the franchise\, offering him a new four-year contract.\n\
 nThat offseason\, Michael Jordan shocked the world by announcing that he w
 as retiring from the NBA. Suddenly\, the NBA\, which had watched him win t
 he last three championships\, was up for grabs. Olajuwon made sure to seiz
 e the moment. Olajuwon turned in yet another career-high year in points an
 d assists while becoming the first non-U.S. born player to win the NBA MVP
  Award and repeated as Defensive Player of the Year. Olajuwon was a tour d
 e force in the 1994 Playoffs\, leading the postseason in scoring as the Ro
 ckets progressed to the Finals\, where he faced off against longtime rival
  Patrick Ewing. Olajuwon outscored Ewing in every game of the series and s
 aved the Rockets with a clutch block in Game 6\, forcing a decisive Game 7
 . There\, he recorded a double-double\, leading the Rockets to their first
  NBA Championship and the first major Houston professional sports champion
 ship since 1961. Olajuwon was named Finals MVP\, becoming the first player
  in NBA history to win MVP\, Defensive Player of the Year\, and Finals MVP
  in the same season.\n\nOlajuwon and the Rockets followed this up with ano
 ther strong season in 1994-95 and was joined by former college teammate Cl
 yde Drexler in a midseason trade\, however they entered the playoffs as th
 e sixth seed\, a position from which no team had ever won the NBA Champion
 ship before. Nevertheless\, in the first round\, the Rockets defeated the 
 Utah Jazz in five games in a major upset. Olajuwon dominated the series\, 
 averaging 35 points\, 8.6 rebounds\, and 2.6 blocks per game.\n\nNext the 
 Rockets faced Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns. Despite falling into a
  3-1 hole\, the Rockets became only the fifth team in NBA history to comeb
 ack from such a deficit behind Olajuwon’s series-leading 29.6 points per
  game despite a 46-point effort from Kevin Johnson and 23-rebound effort f
 rom Charles Barkley in Game 7.\n\nThe Conference Finals pitted Olajuwon ag
 ainst another longtime rival that played in the same state\, David Robinso
 n and the San Antonio Spurs. Olajuwon utterly dominated the series\, posti
 ng series-leading averages in points\, rebounds\, and blocks per game whil
 e leading his team in assists. The Rockets dispatched the Spurs in six gam
 es and stood poised to become the first championship team in NBA history t
 o achieve it from such a low seed.\n\nStanding in their way was Shaquille 
 O’Neal and the Orlando Magic. The Magic had dispatched Michael Jordan an
 d the Chicago Bulls on their way to the Finals and entered the Playoffs wi
 th the best record in the Eastern Conference.\n\nThe Magic proved no match
  for the Rockets. Olajuwon led every game of the four game-sweep in scorin
 g and recorded a 35 point and 15 rebound double-double in the closeout gam
 e. Olajuwon repeated as Finals MVP and cemented his reputation as one of t
 he game’s greatest of all-time with his historic playoff run.\n\nOlajuwo
 n would play six more seasons with the Rockets before a final season with 
 the Toronto Raptors\, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players of All 
 Time after winning a Gold Medal with Team USA in 1996. He retired as the N
 BA’s all-time leader in blocks and was elected to the 75th Anniversary T
 eam. Olajuwon was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and ha
 s become the model for many young big men\, with stars often sent to train
  with him and learn the moves that made him so special. There will however
  always be only one “Dream.”\n\nShould you wish to pay in cryptocurren
 cy\, please contact the Bids Department (bids.newyork@sothebys.com) at lea
 st three business days prior to the close of this auction for wallet verif
 ication. Review the Conditions of Business for Buyers for our full terms
  and conditions relating to cryptocurrency payments.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250930
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