While the overwhelming majority of sports cards are purchased for the player featured on the front, it’s not uncommon for celebrities and other personalities to make their way into the backgrounds.
From recording artists and politicians to convicted murderers, here are 11 cards known for their guest appearances.
2016 Panini Optic Paul George All-Stars featuring Drake
A frequent fan at Raptors games, it wasn’t a surprise to see rapper Drake courtside for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
This card features Pacers star Paul George rising for a shot, and Drake can be spotted in the lower right corner of the card.
Drake first earned fame as a star on the TV show “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” but began a recording career shortly after leaving the show. Since then, the rapper has gone on to become one of the world’s most popular artists with 13 total No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 songs.
Drake can also be found sitting courtside in the background of Pascal Siakam’s 2018 Panini Hoops card.
1990 Hoops Mark Jackson featuring Lyle and Erik Menendez
Possibly the most famous background cameo in all of trading cards, the 1990 Hoops Mark Jackson card features convicted murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden.
Eventually arrested and convicted for killing their parents, the brothers first went on a lavish spending spree after the attack that included courtside tickets to multiple basketball games, including this one at MSG.
The card, which is otherwise uninspiring, has exploded in price in recent years after one collector noticed the brothers in the background. Raw cards, which had been selling for just 15 cents, immediately jumped to $15 on the secondary market when the brothers were spotted.
To date, the most paid for a PSA 10 example is $4,000.
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Yasiel Puig 2018 Topps NOW featuring Kobe Byant
Largely lost amid Boston’s five-game victory over Los Angeles in the 2018 World Series was Yasiel Puig’s three-run home run in Game 4.
As is customary, Topps NOW released a print-to-demand card to capture the moment, and card No. 947 ended up with a print run of just 446.
While the front of the card features a striking image of Puig celebrating as the ball carries toward the stands, the back is where Lakers legend Kobe Bryant makes an appearance.
Sporting a No. 8 jersey on the left side of the reverse, Bryant can be seen raising his hands as Puig runs toward first base.
A BGS 9.5 true gem example of the card sold for $1,500 on eBay in April 2024.
1994 Upper Deck Michael Jordan Rare Air featuring Lyle and Erik Menendez
As if one card with two convicted murderers isn’t enough, collectors recently stumbled across a second — this time featuring all-time great Michael Jordan as the main subject.
Originally part of a tribute set for Jordan, card No. 89, like the Mark Jackson card, features the Menendez brothers sitting courtside at MSG.
Interest in the card has surged alongside the release of the Netflix series “MONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which has emerged as one of the streaming service’s most popular shows.
One PSA 9 example recently sold for $700 on eBay, a year after a PSA 10 sold for as little as $95.
A petition was recently filed to resentence the brothers, who are currently serving life sentences. The brothers could eventually be eligible for release if the petition is approved.
2019 Panini Chronicles Ja Morant featuring Young Dolph, Key Glock, Sean and Leigh Ann Touhy
In terms of volume, the 2019 Panini Chronicles card of Ja Morant might be the best cameo card of all time. While the focus of the card is on Morant flexing after a play, the bottom right portion of the card includes Memphis-based artists Young Dolph and Key Glock.
The cameo helped drive interest in the card early, though prices surged when Young Dolph was shot and killed in 2021.
Interest in the card surged again in 2023 when collectors noticed Michael Oher’s adoptive parents, Sean and Leigh Ann Touhy, were featured in the bottom left corner of the card.
Featured in the hit 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” the Tuohy’s were later accused by Oher of tricking him into making them his conservators without actually adopting him.
1994-95 Pinnacle Sylvain Turgeon featuring Patrick Kane
The No. 2 pick in the 1983 NHL Draft, Turgeon’s 1994 Pinnacle card is actually a common purchase among hockey collectors because of a fan sitting along the glass.
Though it can be hard to tell at his age, the boy sitting on his father’s lap in the front row is actually NHL star Patrick Kane. The No. 1 overall pick in 2007, Kane would win the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2008 before helping deliver three titles to the Chicago Blackhawks in the early 2010s.
Kane became the first American-born player to win the Hart Memorial Trophy for the 2015-2016 season.
2008 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant featuring LeBron James
While many of the most coveted cameo cards feature celebrities in the stands, the 2008 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant, which features LeBron James guarding the Lakers great, is among the most popular to feature an interesting guest appearance from another player.
Both among the most popular athletes in the sports card hobby, the card also happens to be part of the beloved 2008 Topps Chrome set, which features an incredibly popular design.
The photograph, which features James closely guarding Bryant, is likely one of the most iconic in the modern era. The highest public sale for the card is the $312,000 paid for a Gold Refractor /50 PSA 10 at PWCC in 2021.
1990 Hoops Greg Grant featuring Paula Abdul
Normally, there wouldn’t be much reason to buy Greg Grant’s 1990 Hoops card — Grant played six seasons in the NBA and averaged just 2.8 PPG. This card has become a popular purchase among collectors, however, because singer and TV star Paula Abdul can be spotted in the bottom left corner.
A former Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader, Abdul would go on to become one of the most successful recording artists of the era with one of the best-selling debut records ever.
Abdul would later earn additional TV fame as one of the original judges for the hit series “American Idol,” and she also worked on shows such as “The X Factor,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “The Masked Dancer.”
1990 Hoops Sam Vincent featuring Michael Jordan
Vincent was a solid basketball player — he averaged almost 8 PPG during a seven-year career — but nothing that would make collectors spend $1,000-plus on one of his cards.
His 1990 Hoops card features a guest appearance from Michael Jordan, however. As Vincent goes up for a shot, Jordan can be spotted looking to box out along the bottom, and yes, he’s wearing No. 12 instead of No. 23.
The card ended up capturing a game where Jordan’s jersey was likely stolen from the locker room and the Bulls star, without a backup No. 23, was forced to wear a No. 12 jersey the team kept for emergencies.
1990 Classic WWF Hulk Hogan featuring Donald Trump
Trump is actually featured on multiple cards from this set, though this example featuring Hulk Hogan interacting with the crowd might be the easiest to spot, with Trump positioned toward the middle of the ring in the front row.
Other cards, including battles between Hogan and Andre the Giant as well as Hercules and the Ultimate Warrior, feature Trump in the bottom left of the card.
Originally known as a businessman and star of the TV series “The Apprentice,” Trump has gone on to become a polarizing politician while serving as the 45th President of the United States. Trump has won the Republican nomination for three consecutive presidential elections.
2023-24 Panini Hoops Joel Embiid featuring Ken Goldin
It’s only fitting one of the hobby’s biggest names has his own cameo while rooting for his favorite basketball team.
In this card, Sixers superfan and Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin can be spotted in the bottom right sitting courtside while Joel Embiid looks to pass.
Along with running one of the hobby’s most successful auction houses, Goldin has earned TV fame as the star of the Netflix series “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,” which follows the day-to-day operations of the auction house as it attempts to sell the best items in the industry.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.