Context: The 1999-2000 Ultra base set contained a manageable 150 cards, a far cry from Ultra’s original ’92-93 set of 375. Ultra was moving towards quality over quantity. And with collectors able to complete the base set quickly, they had more time to focus on collecting the parallel sets. These came in three different levels. These Gold Medallion cards are the most accessible of the parallel sets. (The next one, Platinum, is very limited and good luck finding any of the 1/1 Masterpiece cards). All 150 cards are paralleled in Gold Medallion and, as you would expect, the background is gold. There is also a “G” suffix on the card number. But this season, Ultra also incorporated a die-cut arch on the top of the card for more variety. The addition of this arch really makes the parallel set feel more distinctive.
In the base set, the final 25 cards are reserved for rookies and are short prints at 1:4 packs. Although there was a Gold Medallion card in every pack, the final 25 Gold Medallion cards are even more special. They are only found 1:35 packs.
The Card: The #77G Avery Johnson card is a common card from the Gold Medallion set, but with only 150 cards, even the commons are recognizable names. The card reminds us of some important basics. At the time of printing, Avery Johnson had already completed 11 seasons in the NBA really coming into his own during the 94-95 and 95-96 seasons with the Spurs. He’s one of the well-known names under 6 feet tall.
It also features a great moment for Johnson. With under a minute remaining in Game 5 of the 1999 NBA Finals, he hit the winning shot giving the Spurs the title. Watch that moment here:
In Short: An extremely affordable introduction to the Gold Medallion set and it commemorates a great moment in NBA history!
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