Shaquille O’Neal Rookie Card Guide: Values and Checklist

One of the most dominant big men to ever grace the hardwood floors, Shaquille O’Neal had a lasting impact on the NBA that is still seen to this day. O’Neal was selected by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. He went on to win the 1992-93 Rookie of the Year award that season as he quickly redefined the center position. In 1996, O'Neal joined the Los Angeles Lakers where he and Kobe Bryant would form one of the greatest duos in NBA history. He would go on to spend time with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.

O'Neal finished his career with 28,596 points, 13,099 total rebounds, and a .582 field goal percentage. He won four NBA Championships, three Finals MVPs, three All-Star MVPs and was named the 2000 NBA MVP. He was selected as a member of the NBA 75^th Anniversary Team, and the Lakers and Heat each retired his jersey number. In 2016, Shaquille O'Neal was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. He is a regular co-host on TNT's 'Inside the NBA' television show.

1992-93 Fleer Shaquille O'Neal #401

Shaq is seen blocking out in the popular pinstriped black away Orlando Magic jersey of the 1990s. Only a few of these first-year O'Neal cards show the black jersey, with the white home jersey being much more common. The Fleer logo sits along the bottom left corner and the Magic logo is on the right. The card suffers from bad lighting and a bland design. A dark gold border with blue and gray banner along the right side leave the card feeling more cramped than necessary. The black jersey and a decent action shot are nice looks for this card. Over the last five years, the average 1992-93 Fleer #401 has sold for around $200 in the highest grade.

1992-93 Fleer Shaquille O'Neal Drake’s #37

This card is identical to the base Fleer #401 with one exception. The 1992-93 Fleer Drake’s is numbered differently for distribution with Drake’s bakery products at the time. It suffers from the same dark background and cramped space like the base version. Collectors should make sure to see the back of the card before purchasing. A smaller print run has contributed to a higher selling price for this card overall. The highest grade 1992-93 Fleer Drake’s #37 sells for around $500 as of the last five years.

1992-93 Fleer Ultra Shaquille O'Neal #328

Easily one of the more eye-catching designs out there, the 1992-93 Fleer Ultra #328 is very popular among collectors. The card features a borderless design with the Fleer Ultra logo in the top right corner, along with a golden banner declaring it a Rookie card. Along the bottom of the card is a green block with Shaquille O'Neal's name, team, and position listed. This card doesn't suffer from the dark background that is often seen on other O'Neal rookie cards. A great action shot helps as well. In its highest grade, the 1992-93 Fleer Ultra #328 sells for $115 over a five-year average. This is a great addition to any collection at a reasonable price for a high-grade, Hall of Famer's rookie card.

1992-93 NBA Hoops Shaquille O'Neal #442

The 1992-93 NBA Hoops #442 design is middle of the road when compared to O'Neal's other rookie cards. This card features a solid action shot from a low angle. The left side of the card features the center's name in an oversized font. The same oversized font is used at the bottom of the card for the Rookie tag. Without a standard border, this oversized font really distracts from the overall card appearance. This is a big factor in the apparent price disparity between this card and some of his other rookie cards. Over the last five years, the 1992-93 NBA Hoops #442 sells for an average of $85 in the highest grade.

1992-93 SkyBox Shaquille O'Neal #382

The 1992-93 Skybox #382 is another Shaquille O'Neal rookie card that falls victim to the low angle and dark background features. The biggest win for this card is the action shot featuring the big man dunking the basketball. For some strange reason this card features a large red gradient rectangle that takes up nearly half the cards background space. Along the bottom is the Orlando Magic logo and the Skybox logo that also includes the rookie tag. Odd design choices and a dark background really hold this card back. For an average of $90 the 1992-93 Skybox #382 in high grade is a reasonable addition to any O'Neal rookie collection.

1992-93 Topps Shaquille O'Neal #362

The 1992-93 Topps #362 features one of the better photographs of Shaq. The All-Star is fully visible, blocking out and waiting for a pass. While he isn’t dunking the ball, that hardly takes away from the card. This Topps set features a white border with a gray and white inner border. Along the bottom of the card is O'Neal's name, team name, and the '92 Draft Pick tag. This card features a good action shot, is well lit, and has an appropriately sized font, all of which led this to be one of the better rookies at holding value over time. Over the last five years, the 1992-93 Topps #362 sells for an average of $315 in the highest grade. This highly sought-after O'Neal rookie is a little higher in price, but worth the investment.

1992-93 Topps Stadium Club Shaquille O'Neal #247

The 1992-93 Topps Stadium Club #247 has one of the odder photographs on a Shaquille O'Neal rookie card. It is hard to tell if he is going up for a dunk or down with a rebound in the action shot. This card also features a borderless design. Along the bottom of the card is the Stadium Club logo, gold striping and a '92 Draft Pick logo. The highest grade 1992-93 Topps Stadium Club #247 sells for $100 over the last five years.

1992-93 Upper Deck Shaquille O'Neal #1

Easily the most recognizable Shaq rookie card and the most valuable. The card features a unique multiple exposure shot of O'Neal dunking the ball. Along the top of the card is the NBA Draft logo with a “#1 NBA Draft Pick” label. The bottom of the card has a blue and gray border with the NBA star's name, the Upper Deck logo, and his position. This staged photo has a very unique design that stands out from his other rookie cards. In the highest grade, the 1992-93 Upper Deck #1 has averaged $1900 over the last five years. This might be harder to add to a collection, but they are not very rare.

1992-93 Upper Deck Shaquille O'Neal Trade Card Redemption #1b

The 1992-93 Upper Deck Trade Card Redemption #1b is a variant of the previous base card. It features the same dunk progression photo with only a minor difference. The card is numbered 1b and has a “trade card” label rather than the “#1 NBA Draft Pick” label. This card benefits from having the same design as the popular base version. The 1992-93 Upper Deck Trade Card Redemption #1b has sold for an average of $675 over the last five years.

Checklist

• 1992-93 Fleer Drake’s Shaquille O'Neal RC #37
• 1992-93 Fleer Shaquille O'Neal RC #401
• 1992-93 Fleer Ultra Shaquille O'Neal RC #328
• 1992-93 NBA Hoops Shaquille O'Neal RC #442
• 1992-93 SkyBox Shaquille O'Neal RC #382
• 1992-93 Topps Shaquille O'Neal RC #362
• 1992-93 Topps Stadium Club Shaquille O'Neal RC #247
• 1992-93 Upper Deck Shaquille O'Neal RC #1
• 1992-93 Upper Deck Shaquille O'Neal Trade Card Redemption #1b