Basketball collecting guide
Michael Jordan1996-97 Topps Chrome #139 · Refractor
Topps used the same photograph for Chrome and its Refractor. The finish determines which #139 you are buying.
Jordan twists toward the basket above Alonzo Mourning. It is a memorable photograph whether you collect the standard Chrome card or its rainbow Refractor. With #139, the tricky part of buying online is that a flat scan can make those two versions look much closer than they do under a moving light.
Find the rainbow on #139
Topps says the first Chrome basketball set reused the mainline design and gave its base cards one parallel. Standard Chrome has a metallic surface, while the Refractor throws a rainbow as the light moves. Compare a straight-on image with a short tilt video of the actual copy. Match the back number and the grading label as well as the finish. 2 1
The player behind the card
Jordan played all 82 games for Chicago in the season named on this Refractor. The photograph gives that season a face: Alonzo Mourning is the defender Jordan is reaching past. 4 5
The card’s season
1996-97 · Chicago Bulls
NBA regular season
82 games · 29.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. 4
Understand the pack odds
Topps puts Refractors at roughly one per 12 packs across a 220-card checklist. Those odds describe pulling a Refractor from the set. The print run for Jordan #139 remains unknown from those pack odds. If the goal is one card to represent the release, decide whether owning the photograph is enough or whether the changing colors are essential to the collection. 2
Use the original lot as a reference
Fanatics Collect records a PSA 9 #139 Refractor sold on July 21, 2025 for $10,500 including buyer’s premium, certification 24757669. The date and fee treatment matter when comparing that historical lot with a later PSA estimate. Before bidding, inspect surface lines and color consistency in the actual photographs, then find newer completed auctions in the same grade. 3 1
Documented prices
PSA estimate
$17,504 USD · PSA 9
Reference recorded Nov 4, 2026 for this grade.
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Collector questions
Does a matching action photograph establish the Refractor?
Both Chrome versions use the photograph. Confirm the rainbow finish, reverse and variety description together.
How should I compare a hammer price with the Fanatics result?
Include any buyer’s premium so the totals use the same basis. The $10,500 figure in the original lot includes that fee.