Cards
Jalen Brunson cards in high demand after Knicks NBA championship
Now that the New York Knicks sit atop the NBA world as 2026 champions, it seems like an obvious conclusion. The team built up a head of steam in the regular season and then jelled in the playoffs, culminating in a 4–1 series win over San Antonio. It was the team’s first championship in 53 years, setting off wild celebrations in the Big Apple.
To hoop collectors, the Knicks’ emotional ride—highlighted by a string of come-from-behind fourth-quarter wins—offered up a fresh batch of good guys to seek out. At the top of the list: Jalen Brunson. The NBA Finals MVP averaged 32.6 points in the series—including 45 in the decisive Game 5—along with 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2 steals.
But Brunson’s numbers don’t tell the full story. A wrap-up at The Ringer website perfectly summarized what it was like to watch Brunson play, and it’s so telling we have to share it:
“There are a lot of reasons the New York Knicks won their first title in 53 years this season. Brunson is the biggest. The shotmaking, the resolve, the poise, the handle, the audacity, the wiggle, the drive, the angles, the buckets, the buckets, the buckets. Brunson hoops with the kind of self-belief and attention to detail that can come only via mountains of work.”
The hobby result? Long-overdue love and attention for the 29-year-old Brunson, a Villanova product who spent his first four NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. Immediately after the NBA Finals, there were nearly 50,000 Brunson items available on eBay. And more than 16,000 Brunson items changed hands over the past three months.
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In honor of his uniform number, here are 11 Brunson cards that brought worthy prices as the Knicks rolled to their title:
• $20,098 on 30 bids for a 2024-25 Panini Revolution KABOOM! card graded BGS 8 and marked #6/10. A standard issue of the same card in a PSA 10 sold for $10,659 on 45 bids. Still another PSA 10 drew $8,711 on 43 bids.
• $14,300 on 57 bids for a 2018 Panini National Treasures signed patch card marked #/66/99 and graded BGS 8.5. Another example marked #22/66 and graded PSA 8 sold for $10,411 on 51 bids.
• $11,308 on 55 bids for an ungraded one-of-a-kind 2024-25 Panini Eminence Brand Logos patch card with an embedded “Jumpman” swatch.
• $8,100 on 58 bids for an ungraded 2024-25 Panini Eminence auto patch card marked #3/10.
• $7,450 on 66 bids for a 2018-19 Panini White Sparkle Prizm rookie PSA 10.
• $7,200 on 63 bids for a Gold variation of a 2024-25 Panini Prizm Black card marked #6/10 and graded PSA 10.
• $6,300 on 37 bids for a 2024-25 Panini Prizm Manga Black card graded PSA 10.
• $6,273 on 44 bids for a 2025-26 Bowman Anime Red Refractor marked #5/5 and graded PSA 9.
• $6,236 on 45 bids for an ungraded 2024-25 Topps Chrome Sapphire autographed Red Refractor card marked #1/5.
• $6,050 on 22 bids for a 2018 Panini Contenders Optic autographed Gold Prizm rookie with a PSA 9 grade and #5/10 mark.
• $5,655 on 59 bids for a 2024-2025 Panini Flawless signed Game Used Laundry Tag card graded BGS 9.
Our favorite Buy It Now deal: a 2018 Panini Certified autographed card (#2/5) showing Brunson as a baby-faced rookie. Reported price of this PSA 10 gem: $50,000.
