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Last Updated On: December 10th, 2023
NBA Hoops was on a roll in 1990. Two cards in the 440-card set come with a little bit of history — and by history, we mean mostly quirkiness.
We already wrote about the first, Mark Jackson’s Hoops card featuring none other than the murdering Menendez brothers. A card that became collectible because of the brothers in the background, and not so much because of the player depicted (sorry Mark).
But there was yet another oddball card in the 1990 Hoops set: Sam Vincent’s #223, also known as the Michael Jordan #12 jersey card. Desired by many collectors who love a good shadow Michael Jordan card, i.e., another player’s card that also features Jordan, the Vincent #223 is collectible for still another reason. The card depicts Jordan wearing a #12 jersey for the one time in his career rather than his iconic #23.
In this post, we’re going to focus on this Jordan shadow card, discussing why Jordan wore the #12 in the first place, who the heck Sam Vincent even is, and how valuable the card is today.
Table of Contents
Overview
First things first — what is Jordan doing in a #12 jersey, anyway? The Bulls legend is synonymous with the #23, his customary jersey (aside from his brief dalliance with #45 after coming out of retirement in 1995, required because the Bulls already retired his #23).
On February 14, 1990, the Bulls arrived in Orlando to square off against the newly-minted Magic. Before tip-off, however, someone stole Jordan’s #23 jersey, leaving the knight without his armor. Strangely, the Bulls didn’t have a backup #23 jersey for its superstar, and after pleading with fans in the stadium for a replacement that would fit, the team was still jersey-less.
Fortunately, the Bulls brought a nameless #12 jersey on the road for emergencies. Jordan slipped on the new digits and scored 49 points in a losing effort that night.
| Mins | Points | FG % | Boards | Assists |
| 47 | 49 | 48.8 | 7 | 2 |
Jordan, for his part was not thrilled about the jersey swap:
“That has never happened to me before,” Jordan said. “It’s pretty irritating because you’re accustomed to certain things, and you don’t like to have things misplaced.”
MJ’s Cameo with Sam Vincent Wearing #12 Jersey
On the other side of the floor from Jordan that evening sat Sam Vincent, a former Michigan Mr. Basketball who broke Magic Johnson’s high school single-game scoring record before heading off to Michigan State. He was a first-round selection in the 1985 draft before bouncing around the league (even sharing the floor with Jordan as a Bull from ’86 to ’88). In 1989, Vincent was selected by the Magic in the league’s Expansion Draft, where he spent three seasons before a short overseas career.
And for one fateful night, Vincent and Jordan’s careers were brought back in sync. And a keen-eyed photographer managed to catch the former teammates in the same shot, which also happened to capture Jordan in the #12, watching as Vincent attempts a lay-up.
The Sam Vincent card isn’t the only time Jordan was caught wearing #12. While this game was his only one played in the number, Jordan #12 jersey cards cropped up in sets from time to time, including in a 1999 Upper Deck Tribute set (the specific card is #16 if you’re looking on eBay), a tad like the Rare Air tribute set we profiled on the site.
One of the cooler #12 jersey cards out there actually comes from a 1997 SP Authentic “Authentics” Game Night insert set. Not only does the jumbo-size card feature Jordan in #12, but we get a clear picture of the jersey’s nameless back. Serial numbered out of 100, the insert was only obtained through mail-in redemption and last sold at Goldin Auctions for $1,152 in PSA 8 (January 2023):
Is the Sam Vincent Card Worth Anything?
The Sam Vincent-Michael Jordan #12 card is fairly valuable in Gem Mint condition, but it’s hardly the most valuable Jordan card out there. CardLadder values it at $141 in PSA 10, but the card in a lower grade has very little value besides its status as a quirky MJ collectible.
| PSA Grade | CardLadder Value |
| PSA 10 – Gem Mint | $141 |
| PSA 9 – Mint | $35 |
| PSA 8 – Near Mint | $21 |
| Raw (ungraded) | $2 |
And that $141 price point for Gem Mint is especially intriguing considering what the card doesn’t have going for it. It isn’t a rookie card or an insert, it’s not rare, nor does it belong to a particularly impactful player in NBA history.
Population Data, Grading, & Impact on Price
Why the sudden drop-off in value? As you might guess, this boils down to one key factor: scarcity. With a total pop count of 4,311 Hoops #223, the card carries a Gem Rate of over 10%, according to CardLadder (meaning one in every 10 graded is in perfect condition).
But a closer look reveals precisely why the values cliff-dive after Gem Mint. While 434 cards have graded out as a PSA 10 so far, over six times as many have graded as PSA 9 and 8, putting a naturally hard ceiling on these cards’ values.
Ultimately, even an oddity like a Michael Jordan #12 jersey card can’t make up for hard and fast supply and demand rules. Add in the fact that the card was printed during a time of general sports cards overproduction known as the Junk Wax Era, and it’s perhaps more surprising that the Gem Mint card is valued north of $100 than the low prices for lesser graded cards.
Summary: Michael Jordan #12 Jersey Card
After retiring, Vincent began a 17-year coaching career spanning various competitive levels and continents. While his on-court career is forgettable, he’s immortalized in his #223 card from 1990. Perhaps it’s little surprise that Jordan stole the spotlight on cardboard, considering he did much the same on hardwood for nearly two decades.
Is this the strangest basketball card ever produced? Let us know what you think in the comments, and feel free to nominate others! And if you’re interested in adding the Michael Jordan #12 jersey card to your collection, keep your eyes peeled on sites like eBay or MySlabs for top-graded options.
Another thing about Sam his older brother Jay was a High School Rival to Magic Johnson & later the 2 were Teammates at Michigan State University & then later with the Lakers & all 3 guys have their respective high school jerseys Retired as well their Jerseys at Michigan State University. Also Sam unlike his brother won high school Championship.
Awesome additional context! Thanks for sharing, Carol.