Michael Jordan card with Menendez brothers surges in price

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It’s sometimes the little things that can make a sports trading card unique and increase in value over time.

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In the case of one basketball card, a recent docuseries on a pair of brothers has seen its value shoot through the roof.

Thirty years after its release, an Upper Deck Michael Jordan card has seen its price explode after collectors noticed the infamous Menendez brothers in the background.

The card in question is the Michael Jordan 1994 Upper Deck Rare Air No. 89, which features what appears to be convicted murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez sitting courtside in the background.

A similar boost in value occurred with a 1990 Hoops Mark Jackson card, in which the two brothers also appear seated in the background.

Interest in the card spread quickly this month after a French collector discovered the brothers looking on from the bottom right corner of the card as Jordan takes a shot against the New York Knicks during a game on Jan. 15, 1990.

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The brothers, who have come back into the public eye recently because of the popular Netflix series MONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, were arrested for the murder of their parents in March 1990, months after they were shot to death in August 1989.

The brothers drew additional attention from police after the initial investigation by spending their inheritance on lavish items — including courtside tickets to basketball games.

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Thanks to the brothers’ appearance on the collector’s item, interest in the card has spiked.

The card is part of a tribute collection set with incredible photographs of Jordan. According to collectors site Clict, card No. 89 has been graded by PSA just 68 times with just 18 earning a PSA 10, the standard of perfect condition.

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According to Card Ladder, two PSA 9 examples sold for US$705 and $400 on Saturday, easily topping the previous high of $225 for the card in any condition.

A PSA 10-rated card sold for just $213 in 2021 and another fetched just $95 on eBay in 2023.

The outlet also found that almost half of the sales registered for the Jordan card happened within the past two weeks.

The price surge for the Jordan card follows a similar trend for the Jackson card, which saw a PSA 10 card sell for as much as $4,000.

Last week, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon filed a petition for resentencing the brothers, who are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

If approved, they would be eligible for release in the future.

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