1984-85 Star Court Kings 5x7

For sale from this set

The 1984-85 Star Court Kings 5x7 set has 50 oversized cards of the NBA's top players, issued in two 25-card series. Series 1 (#1-25) has yellow borders and Series 2 (#26-50) has blue. It holds the first of Michael Jordan's three Star 5x7s. Whether #26 reached collectors before or after his 1984-85 Star #101 is disputed. Charles Barkley (#41) and Akeem Olajuwon (#47) also have early cards here.

The set at a glance

The key cards

• Michael Jordan: #26 (Bulls), the top card of the Series 2 bag. See below.
• Charles Barkley and Akeem Olajuwon: #41 and #47. Basketball Gold tags both as FPLC, a player's first NBA-licensed card, and says the Jordan can be argued as one too.
• Magic Johnson: #15 uses the same photo as his 1986-87 Fleer #53.
• Other Hall of Famers: Series 1 includes #1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, #4 Julius Erving, #12 Dominique Wilkins, #17 Moses Malone and #18 Larry Bird. Series 2 includes #30 Isiah Thomas, #31 Robert Parish, #42 Kevin McHale and #49 James Worthy. Several more Hall of Famers appear in both series.

How it was issued

Star, Robert Levin's small company, was the NBA's only licensed card maker from 1983 to 1986. It sold this set as two sealed bags of 25 cards, one per series. The yellow Series 1 runs #1-25 and the blue Series 2 runs #26-50. To see what a Series 2 bag looks like inside, watch StarFans #2: Mail Day, June 3, 2026, where Sean opens one on camera.

The fronts read "STAR '85" at top left, with a round NBA logo at bottom left. The player's position and team appear under his name. starbasketballcards.com dates the release to 1985. Basketball Gold estimates 4,000 of each series were made; starbasketballcards.com estimates 5,000.

The Jordan card

#26 is the first of Jordan's three Star 5x7s, ahead of the 1985 Slam Dunk Supers #5 and 1985 Team Supers #CB1.

The timing of #26 against the 1984-85 #101 is disputed. Basketball Gold says several sources and original Star dealers recall #26 coming out first; other collectors and dealers place the #101 first, and no dated release records have surfaced to settle it. Either way, the #101 remains his first card from a regular base set. Basketball Gold also notes the #26 photo is widely rated among the best on any Jordan card.

Opinions differ on the 5x7s. Some collectors see #26, #41 and #47 as overlooked because they came out so early. Others simply prefer standard-size cards.

Condition and grading

• Top of the bag: #26 sat on top of the 25-card Series 2 bag. Basketball Gold says it often has surface marks or corner and edge damage, more so than the #101.
• Centering: less of a concern on most 5x7s, Basketball Gold notes.
• Sealed bags: an original sealed bag proves the cards are original, not that they are mint. Resealed Star bags exist.
• Grading: BGS has graded Star since December 2008, and its labels read "1984-85 Star Court Kings 5x7." PSA added the set in March 2023 as "1984-85 Star Court Kings Supers 5x7." CGC began grading 1980s Star in May 2025, though its announcement does not mention Court Kings.

Spotting fakes

Counterfeit #26 Jordans exist. starbasketballcards.com points to these tells, best checked with a loupe:

• Border color: the blue on a fake can lean toward purple, and one known fake has a much wider border.
• Print quality: the photo looks darker and less clear. The lettering in Jordan's name should be sharp.
• Logo and frame lines: the NBA ball logo should be crisp, and the black frame lines solid ink rather than print dots.
• Back: fakes tend to show a blurry Bulls logo and a darker shade of blue.

Basketball Gold says there is no evidence any original 1983-86 Star card was reprinted from the original plates. Counterfeits are often listed as "reprints" to get around eBay rules. It is not a Type II set (those are limited to 1985-86 #95-172, the 1986 Jordan set and 1986 Best of the New).

Also watch for the 1997 Shop at Home "Star '85 Court Kings." It is a 21-card, standard-size set with yellow borders and blue text, made in 1997 without an NBA license. Its Jordan wears a USA uniform. It is not this set and not the 1986 Court Kings.

Sources

• Basketball Gold: FAQs (our primary source)
• Basketball Gold: Common Misconceptions
• Basketball Gold: Glossary
• Basketball Gold: 5x7 sets, Court Kings Series 1 and 2 (card images and BGS labels)
• starbasketballcards.com: 1984-85 Star Court Kings 5x7
• starbasketballcards.com: How to spot a fake Court Kings Jordan #26
• starbasketballcards.com: 1997 Star '85 Court Kings Shop at Home set
• starbasketballcards.com: History of Star basketball cards
• Trading Card Database: 1984-85 Star Court Kings (series and #15 photo notes)
• Sports Collectors Digest: PSA expands Star grading (March 22, 2023)
• CGC: Now grading 1980s Star basketball cards (May 23, 2025)

Gallery

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