Jalen Brunson’s first NBA Finals game with the New York Knicks is already becoming a collector’s item.
Topps announced on June 4 that the game-used net from Brunson’s “epic NBA Finals debut” will be placed inside a 1-of-1 autographed card. The rare card is tied to Brunson’s Game 1 performance against the San Antonio Spurs, when the Knicks guard scored a game-high 30 points and helped New York take a 105-95 win to open the Finals.
Topps added that collectors who purchase the base edition of the card will have a chance to receive the 1-of-1 auto-relic with their order. The card was made available for only 48 hours, turning Brunson’s Finals opener into an immediate chase item for Knicks fans and basketball card collectors.
For Brunson, it is another sign of how quickly this postseason has reshaped his place in Knicks history.
Jalen Brunson’s Finals Moment Is Already Being Preserved
The card commemorates one of the biggest individual performances by a Knicks player in decades. Brunson did not simply put up numbers in Game 1. He steadied New York after an uneven start, played through an early scare and delivered when the Knicks needed him most.
NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt wrote that Brunson battled through “early tweaks and poor form” before producing a 13-point fourth quarter that helped decide Game 1.
That is the part that gives the Topps release real weight. This was not a random regular-season highlight or a manufactured collectible moment. It came from the opening game of the NBA Finals, with the Knicks trying to win their first championship since 1973.
The image of a game-used net inside a Brunson autograph card also fits the larger story of New York’s run. Nets are usually cut down after clinching moments. In this case, Topps is using one to freeze a Finals debut that immediately became part of the Knicks’ modern playoff identity.
Brunson’s Knicks Collectibles Market Was Already Heating Up
The Game 1 card follows a surge of collector interest around Brunson and the Knicks during their Finals run.
Topps previously noted that Brunson’s Eastern Conference Finals MVP card reached a print run of 20,255, more than double the previous high for a Brunson Topps NOW card. The same Topps breakdown said New York’s Eastern Conference Finals team card reached a print run of 30,052.
Those numbers matter because they show this is not only a Knicks celebration piece. It is part of a growing market around Brunson’s postseason rise.
Brunson has gone from star guard to face of a Finals team, and Topps has been documenting the shift almost in real time. The Game 1 1-of-1 card takes that a step further because it includes memorabilia from the actual Finals stage.
That is the kind of card that can mean more years from now if the Knicks finish the job.
Knicks Fans Have a New Keepsake From a Historic Run
The Knicks are three wins away from their first NBA title since 1973, and Brunson is at the center of everything. He has already delivered an Eastern Conference Finals MVP run, a 30-point Finals debut and the kind of late-game shot-making that has defined New York’s postseason.
Topps’ announcement gives fans another way to attach something tangible to that run.
It is also a reminder of how much Brunson’s career has changed since he arrived in New York. The Knicks are no longer simply hoping he can carry them through a playoff round. They are watching him become the player whose biggest postseason moments are being turned into rare memorabilia almost overnight.
For collectors, the chase is obvious: a 1-of-1 autograph card with a game-used Finals net relic.
For Knicks fans, the appeal is even simpler. Brunson gave New York a Game 1 win on the NBA’s biggest stage, and now a piece of that night is going into one card.
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