The tallest player in NBA history at 7'7", Manute Bol was one of the most unique figures the league has ever seen. His 1986-87 Fleer rookie card (#12) captures the Sudanese-born shot-blocking specialist in his Philadelphia 76ers uniform, a reminder of a career defined not by scoring but by an almost supernatural ability to alter shots.

Bol played 10 NBA seasons with four teams, averaging just 2.6 points per game but blocking an astonishing 3.3 shots in only 18.7 minutes per contest. His 1985-86 rookie season with the Washington Bullets saw him average 5.0 blocks per game — the second-highest single-season mark in NBA history behind only Mark Eaton. On March 25, 1986, Bol recorded a triple-double against the Milwaukee Bucks with 10 points, 12 blocks, and 10 rebounds, joining an exclusive club of players who have achieved the feat.

The 1986-87 Fleer set is basketball's most iconic release of the 1980s, containing the Michael Jordan rookie (#57), Patrick Ewing (#59), Karl Malone (#58), Charles Barkley (#82), and dozens of other Hall of Famers. It was Fleer's first NBA set and pushed the boundaries of what a basketball card could look like with its bold action photography and distinctive red, white, and blue design. The set is notoriously condition-sensitive — the red borders show every scratch and the thin card stock chips easily, making high-grade examples of any card in the set genuinely scarce.

PSA Population Report

PSA GradePopulationValue
GEM-MT 10116$1,575
MINT 91,017$145
NM-MT 81,446$65
Total Graded (All Grades)3,401—

* Population data as of June 24, 2026.

With only 116 PSA 10 examples out of 3,401 total graded, Manute Bol's gem rate sits at roughly 3.4% — and that's entirely a function of the set's fragile build. The 1986-87 Fleer red borders are infamous among basketball collectors for showing wear from a light breeze. A PSA 10 Bol is genuinely difficult to find, and the $1,575 PSA Price Guide value reflects that scarcity.

What makes Manute Bol's rookie card particularly compelling is that it represents a player who is genuinely irreplaceable in basketball history. No one played like him before, and at 7'7" with his unique shot-blocking instincts, no one will play like him again. Bol blocked shots at a rate of 1.7 per every 10 minutes on the floor — a rate that ranks among the highest in NBA history for players with at least 500 career minutes. He also holds the NBA record for most blocked shots in a half (11, against the Atlanta Hawks in 1987) and remains one of only two players (along with Hakeem Olajuwon) to record 500+ blocks in fewer than 100 games.

Beyond the stats, Bol's story is extraordinary. Born in Sudan to the Dinka tribe, he was discovered by college scout Don Feeley while playing soccer as a teenager. Bol spoke almost no English when he arrived in the United States but went on to become a beloved figure in the NBA who later dedicated much of his post-playing career to humanitarian work in his home country, establishing the Ringing Bell Fund to aid displaced Sudanese refugees. His son, Bol Bol, now plays in the NBA, carrying on the family legacy in a very different era of basketball.

For collectors, the 1986-87 Fleer Manute Bol rookie card is an affordable entry point into one of the most collected basketball sets of all time. A PSA 8 can be found for around $65, and even a sharp PSA 9 won't break the bank at $145 — making this one of the most accessible Hall of Fame-adjacent rookies in the 1986-87 Fleer set. It pairs beautifully with the Jordan, Ewing, Barkley, and Malone rookies from the same set, and its uniquely memorable subject gives it a conversation-starting quality that few cards can match.

Verdict: Manute Bol's 1986-87 Fleer rookie card is a genuinely undervalued piece of basketball history — a condition-sensitive classic from the hobby's most beloved set, representing one of the NBA's most unforgettable players at a price that still makes sense for collectors of all budgets.