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Topps is back in the NBA with its first fully licensed basketball release since 2009, kicking off a new long term era under the Fanatics and NBA agreement. A Topps.com presale starts at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, October 3. Box hit details are still to come, but there is plenty already confirmed about the checklist, parallels, autos, relics, and inserts.

The base checklist has 300 cards that mirror the clean 2025 Topps Baseball design. It includes 45 rookie cards and 30 combo cards. In past years Topps issued NBA products through a players association deal that did not allow team names or logos. This is the first true flagship basketball set since the 2009 to 2010 season, bringing the brand back to where it first appeared in 1957 to 1958, then 1969 to 1981, and again from 1992 to 2010.

Parallels and short prints expand the chase. Golden Mirror short prints make their basketball debut, giving every base card an alternate photo with a golden back. A 1 of 1 First Card stamp marks the very first copy of each player off the press. Blackout, Clear, and Team Color Border variations join the lineup, and select players get Player Number Variations that repeat the jersey number in the background and are serial numbered to match that number.

Autographs are a focal point, headlined by Victor Wembanyama’s first licensed signatures in a Topps product. He signed exclusively with Fanatics, so his prior Panini cards did not include autos. Flagship Real One Autographs cover both veterans and rookies. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of 1980 to 81 Topps, there are four throwback auto sets that use that classic three panel look, split between veterans and rookies and offered in both Base Autographs and Chrome Autographs. More ink appears in Contemporary Marks, Havoc Marks, Marks of Excellence, New Applicants Autographs, Rookie Photo Shoot Autographs, Signed and Sealed, and Topps Notch Signatures, plus Dual Rookie Photo Shoot Autographs and 1980 to 81 Topps Triple Autographs.

Memorabilia cards return in force. Own The Game calls back to mid 2000s Topps inserts that featured jersey pieces. Additional relic lines include Flagship Real One Relics, Franchise Fabrics, Rise to the Occasion, Rookie Roundball Remnants, Swish and Stitch Relics, and Woven Wonder Relics.

Inserts are as deep as a modern Topps flagship should be, mixing new ideas with past favorites and concepts borrowed from baseball. Familiar themes for hoop fans include Stars of the NBA, 8 Bit Ballers, Power Players, and All Kings. Retro styles draw on New School from 1997 to 98, No Limit from 2000 to 01, Rise to Stardom from 2000 to 01, Clutch City Prospects from 2006 to 07, and Generation Now from 2007 to 08. New sets add Daily Dribble, Levitation, Comic Court, Home Court, Sonic Boom, Sole Ambition, Hardwood Stars, and Class of 25. MVP Vault spotlights league MVPs from Topps’ time away from licensed NBA products. The 1980 to 81 Topps Basketball retro insert checklist includes 100 players, with 99 receiving Chrome versions.

Configuration and key dates are straightforward. Hobby packs have 12 cards, Jumbo has 40, Mega has 14, and Value has 12. Hobby boxes have 20 packs, Jumbo has 10, Mega has 16, and Value has 12. Hobby cases are 12 boxes and Jumbo cases are 8 boxes, with Mega cases at 20 boxes. The full set size is 300 cards. Release is scheduled for October 23, 2025, and is subject to change. Expected box hits list one autograph or relic in Hobby, and in Jumbo one autograph and one relic.

Collectors who want the first licensed Topps basketball rookies in more than a decade, a broad mix of parallels and short prints, and a deep autograph program anchored by Wembanyama will find this flagship a strong way to start the new era.