This card tells two stories. Obviously Magic Johnson is one of the games greatest point guards and an all time legend.....Joe Alexander not so much. Alexander was drafted 8th overall in the 2008 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Scouting reports listed him as one of the best "athletes" in the draft, but a project to develop offensively. Things never worked out for Joe. He barely received any playing time and rarely made it off the bench for the Bucks. The Bucks declined his option and that was pretty much it in the NBA for Alexander. I believe it is one of the first instances where a team has declined an option year with a lottery pick. He has played overseas and in the D League last I checked.
I was upset things didn't work out for Joe Alexander. Lots of fond memories of him blocking shots and throwing down dunks when he was in college.
Hey, at least I have a Magic Johnson auto right! I may be one of the few people alive who bought this card because it had Joe Alexander on it.
I was in the process of publishing the next post in my "cardfoolery" series... and this card totally fits the topic. I own a few cards with autographs of hall of famers paired with average joes. If and when I begin dumping my collection... these will probably be the first to go.
ReplyDeleteOn the flipside... it's a very affordable way for collectors to grab autographs of superstars.
I went back to look at some of your cardfoolery. The Al Oliver card you mention hits close to home. I have that card as well as a Dick Groat/Elroy Face dual auto and they are all fading. I've put the cards in an Ultra Pro magnetic case to at least slow down the fading, but it is a lost cause. It will be illegible before long.
DeleteThis card had one of the shortest peaks ever. I feel bad for whomever bought this card when it first came out. It was only valuable for about three months. Like you said, at least I have an affordable Magic Johnson auto.
This could be one of those cases where if you were to peel off the sticker auto of the no name guy it may actually improve the value of the card. Obviously you won't be doing that since you're a fan of his. But I hate it when superstar autos are paired with unproven young players.
ReplyDeleteBasketball cards are always fast to jump the gun with legend/rookie mixes. Maybe I'll try and find a cheap Kevin Love sticker auto. He was from the same draft as Alexander.
DeleteWow, what an odd card. Magic and Joe Alexander. I remember what a great finish he had to his college career, but looking back, this card seems a little silly (although good for you as a WVU collector).
ReplyDeleteHe basically turned himself into a lottery pick with his last ten games. I guess he sold himself at his highest value because I don't think he would have been drafted as high if he had stayed in school for his senior season.
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