Presented is a true cornerstone of the Michael Jordan collecting universe — the November 28, 1983 Sports Illustrated College Preview issue, featuring his first-ever cover appearance.
This is where it begins.
Issued while Jordan was still electrifying the college game at North Carolina, this publication predates everything that would later define the hobby: the 1984–85 Star releases, the 1986–87 Fleer rookie card, and even his first professional Sports Illustrated cover, the December 10, 1984 “A Star Is Born” issue. Long before the championships, the endorsements, and the global phenomenon, this cover captured Jordan at the very moment his legend was just starting to take shape.
What separates this piece isn’t just its place in the timeline — it is the extraordinary scarcity amplified by its status as a newsstand edition.
Unlike the more commonly encountered subscription copies, which were mailed directly to homes (often bearing address labels and benefiting from more controlled handling), newsstand editions were distributed for retail sale and exposed to significantly harsher conditions. Displayed on racks, handled by countless potential buyers, and far less likely to be preserved, these copies are materially scarcer from the outset. In high grade, the gap becomes dramatic as newsstand examples represent the most desirable and elusive tier of this already rare issue.
The issue itself only compounds the challenge. A thick, oversized College Preview format with a fragile gatefold-style cover, it is highly prone to wear, creasing, and edge stress. At the time of release, Jordan was not yet a household name, and few had reason to preserve it. Most copies, particularly newsstand examples, were read, handled, and discarded.
The surviving population reflects that reality.
Since CGC began grading magazines in 2009, across more than 30,000 submissions, the census for this issue stands at:
• Zero examples graded 9.8
• One example graded 9.6
• Two examples graded 9.4
Critically, only a single copy in existence has been graded higher than the present example, placing this issue among the absolute finest known.
Even when compared to his iconic December 1984 “A Star Is Born” cover, a recognized pillar of the hobby, the contrast is striking, with that issue producing multiple examples at every elite grade, including several 9.8s.
The November 28, 1983 Sports Illustrated cover is more than just Jordan’s first appearance; it is a pre-fame artifact of exceptional importance. With only one graded example known to surpass it, and with the added scarcity of the newsstand format, this offering stands at the intersection of rarity, condition, and historical significance among the most compelling opportunities in the entire Jordan memorabilia landscape.
