CSC Collector Guide · Basketball

Lew Alcindor

1969-70 Topps #25 base

The name is Lew Alcindor, and the format is unmistakably tall. His 1969-70 Topps #25 brings the future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar into a basketball set whose extra height is part of the experience. A modern-size sleeve is the wrong mental picture for this rookie.²

Quick Facts

Player: Lew Alcindor
Sport: basketball
Year / season: 1969-70
Manufacturer: Topps
Set / product: Topps
Card Number: 25
Variation / parallel: base
Autograph: NON AUTOGRAPH
Relic: NO RELIC
Serial denominator: Not serial numbered
Rookie status: ROOKIE

Lew Alcindor’s Topps #25 is a recognized rookie card, cataloged by PSA under 1969 Topps.

Sources

PSA — 1969 Topps Lew Alcindor #25

Identification

The exact issue is Lew Alcindor, 1969-70 Topps #25, base. Match that full identity when comparing copies.²

Why This Card Matters

PSA recognizes #25 as the rookie issue. The Alcindor name is historically correct for the card and should remain intact when cataloging it, even when a seller searches under Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.²

Player Legacy

Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, carried an exceptional college career at UCLA into professional basketball. His skyhook became a defining shot, using length, balance and a release point that defenders struggled to reach. Over 20 NBA seasons with Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Lakers, he won six league championships and six Most Valuable Player awards. He was the league's Rookie of the Year in 1970 and was selected to 19 All-Star teams. When he retired in 1989, he held the NBA career scoring record; that statement belongs to the time of retirement rather than an unqualified present-day ranking. The Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 1995. Number 25 preserves the name and rookie-era presentation from the beginning of that professional career, before the later Lakers identity became so familiar.^{1, 2}

Card and Set Context

The 99-card Topps set measures approximately 2½ by 4-11/16 inches, with posed images in colored ovals. The extra height is an issue characteristic, not evidence that a normal example has been miscut.³

Collector Context

A rookie collection can retain the printed Alcindor identity while explaining the later name. A format-focused collection has a different attraction in the tall card itself. Both approaches lead to the same exact #25.^{2, 3}

Grading and Condition

Check centering and the white background for print defects. The oversized format also warrants careful photographs of every corner and edge before choosing storage or comparing condition.²

What to Verify

Preserve Lew Alcindor as the issue name and inspect the full tall format. Do not crop away the ends to make #25 resemble a modern-size card in a collection photograph.^{2, 3}

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