The latest installment of the Insert Set Flashback series takes a look at a 20 card set from 1998-99 Topps that focuses on NBA players from a global perspective. Each card features a player in front of a map from either the city of the team, or in the case of international players, a map of the home country for that player.
Lots of typical 90s stars in this set, including Scottie Pippen, Shaq, Hakeem, Barkley, Stockton, Malone, etc… From an global star perspective we also have Detlef Schrempf, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, Sabonis, and Luc Longley.
The 20 card insert set is inserted at 1:24 packs in Series 1, per TCDB. And although these cards didn’t scan well when I attempted, the chrome-like finish with the player over a golden map looks great in person, and when photographed.
The back of each card talks about global competition for each player in particular Olympic experience for each player. Out of the 20 card set, 7 were members of the 1992 Dream Team, 11 played for the USA in 1996, with 5 of those being on both teams.
Chris Webber wasn’t on either of the original Dream Teams, but is included in the set. His card mentions he played on the developmental squad that challenged the 1992 dream team, and was planned to play in the 1998 FIBA World Championships. However, NBA players didn’t participate in those World Championships because of the NBA lockout.
Divac was a part of Yugoslavian silver medal squads in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics, while Longley played for Australia in 1988 and 1992. Kukoc played for Yugoslavia and won a silver medal in 1988 and a silver medal for Croatia in 1992.
The last card in the set, Sabonis, makes a claim that he might be the most decorated achiever in international competition in history. Sabonis won a gold medal with the Soviet Union in 1988, beating David Robinson, Mitch Richmond, and Danny Manning and the US in the semifinals. He also won bronze medals with Lithuania in 1992 and 1996.
Just a very interesting set with all kinds of facts about 20 NBA players in international competition, which I like to watch at every opportunity.
Hoops Hobby 
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