Michael Jordan and Upper Deck have been tied together since 1991, and that relationship isn’t going anywhere for a while. Or seemingly ever going anywhere else
The NBA legend and sports collectibles titan has become a “legacy partner” with Upper Deck, granting the company the exclusive rights to continue producing his authenticated autographed collectibles. Jordan will also now be more involved in his product selection and creation
Upper Deck president Jason Masherah told The Athletic on Tuesday at Nike’s House of Innovation in Manhattan that the trading card and memorabilia company approached Jordan about the expanded partnership, adding with a smile, “Everybody goes to Michael.”
“The relationship that we’ve had with Michael for 35 years, it makes it very easy,” Masherah said. “They are great partners, always have been. I don’t expect that to change.”
Specifics surrounding the terms of the new deal between Jordan and Upper Deck weren’t made public. Nor was the mechanics of what comes of being a “legacy partner.” But it sounds like this will be a forever relationship between the two
Jordan said in a statement: “I’m proud to be Upper Deck’s first legacy partner. For more than 30 years, this partnership has been about creating something different — cards and memorabilia collectors can’t find anywhere else. I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
One of the new autographed Jordan photographs being sold by Upper Deck. (Photo: Larry Holder)
Jordan is still one of, if not the most sought after athlete within the collectibles and memorabilia space. He’s tied to the most expensive publicly known sports card sale ever (an Upper Deck card). He’s the most searched athlete on eBay every month
In an era where the vast majority of all-time and modern great athletes sign cards and memorabilia for Topps and Fanatics, including LeBron James, who signed an exclusive deal with them in 2024 after spending his whole career to that point with Upper Deck, keeping Jordan under the Upper Deck brand is “critical” to the company’s success, Masherah said. This currently comes at a cost to collectors, though. Despite this massive interest, Jordan hasn’t appeared on an NBA licensed (featuring team logos and names) trading card since 2009 — at least, not legally. That’s the last time Upper Deck held the required licenses to print NBA trading cards, which now reside exclusively with Fanatics for many years to come after 15 years with Panini.
Masherah also emphasized keeping Jordan with Upper Deck provides collectors a safe place to acquire authenticated Jordan autographed memorabilia when there are so many fakes and counterfeits floating around
“Upper Deck and Michael are seen as hand in hand,” Masherah said. “They’re kind of intertwined the same way Nike and the Jordan brand is with Michael. … I think the thing that Michael doesn’t get credit for enough is being the steward of his own brand. He’s very selective with his partners. He’s very selective with the way he is presented, the way he is marketed, the things he says. He is the best brand ambassador in sports that we’ve ever seen. I don’t think he gets enough credit for curating the Jordan brand.”
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To mark the extension, Upper Deck is introducing two new programs for collectors of Jordan autographed items
Twenty three factory-sealed packs from the iconic 1986-87 Fleer Basketball set, which includes Jordan’s most famous rookie card, have been acquired through a buyback program. A redemption card for a Jordan autographed encased pack can be pulled from Upper Deck’s 2026 multi-sport Goodwin Champions set, which goes on sale Thursday. One pack — numbered 12 of 23 — will feature a one-of-one inscription “Rookie Pack.”
Upper Deck is also collaborating with eBay to auction a one-of-a-kind Jordan autographed 1986-87 Fleer Basketball sealed box that’s inscribed “Rookie Card Box.” Ten percent of the proceeds from this auction and 11 other Jordan autographed item auctions will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The auction opens on July 30 and closes Aug. 9
“We’re really grateful to Upper Deck for including us in this because it’s really more than memorabilia,” said Corby Herschman, Boys & Girls Club regional development officer. “It’s about investing in the next generation of young people. But it’s a particularly exciting partnership because Michael Jordan is a Boys & Girls Club alum. So his story is a really powerful example of the influence and impact a club can have on the lives of a young person.”
Upper Deck will also sell several new prints and memorabilia pieces to celebrate the extended collaboration. Jordan autographed pieces currently available on Upper Deck’s website sell for between $7,000 and $40,000 each
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