Key Takeaways
- Ten percent of proceeds from 12 Michael Jordan autograph auctions on eBay will go to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where Jordan is an alum.
- Upper Deck named Jordan its first legacy partner, retaining exclusive rights to his authenticated autographed collectibles after 35 years together, per The Athletic.
- Twenty three factory-sealed 1986-87 Fleer Basketball packs, each autographed by Jordan, anchor a new insert program in Upper Deck’s 2026 Goodwin Champions set.
- The launch campaign, “You Don’t Trade Greatness, You Keep it for a Lifetime,” reverses Upper Deck’s 1992 “Trade Jordan” billboard stunt in Chicago.
A Michael Jordan Upper Deck auction series is putting youth development organizations on the receiving end of one of the biggest names in sports collectibles. Ten percent of proceeds from 12 Jordan autographed item auctions on eBay, headlined by a one-of-a-kind signed 1986-87 Fleer Basketball sealed box, will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Athletic reported July 8. The auctions accompany a larger announcement: Jordan has become Upper Deck’s first “legacy partner,” an expanded agreement granting the company exclusive rights to continue producing his authenticated autographed memorabilia. The two sides have worked together since 1991, and the new deal gives Jordan a larger role in product selection and creation. Financial terms were not disclosed. Upper Deck timed the announcement to the 40th anniversary of Jordan’s iconic 1986-87 Fleer rookie card, the company said in its release.
Inside the Michael Jordan Upper Deck Auction and Rookie Pack Buyback
Upper Deck is marking the extension with two connected collector programs. The company acquired 23 factory-sealed packs of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball, the set containing Jordan’s most famous rookie card, through a buyback program. Each pack is autographed by Jordan and inserted into the 2026 multi-sport Goodwin Champions set, with redemption cards for the encased packs available to pull. One pack, numbered 12 of 23, carries a one-of-one “Rookie Pack” inscription.
Separately, Upper Deck and eBay will auction a one-of-a-kind Jordan autographed 1986-87 Fleer sealed box inscribed “Rookie Card Box.” Ten percent of proceeds from that auction and 11 other Jordan autograph auctions will go to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The auction opens July 30 and closes August 9.
The charity connection is personal. “It’s a particularly exciting partnership because Michael Jordan is a Boys & Girls Club alum,” said Corby Herschman, the organization’s regional development officer. “His story is a really powerful example of the influence and impact a club can have on the lives of a young person.”
Inside Upper Deck’s First Legacy Partner Agreement
Upper Deck president Jason Masherah told The Athletic that the company approached Jordan about the expanded partnership. “The relationship that we’ve had with Michael for 35 years, it makes it very easy,” Masherah said. “They are great partners, always have been. I don’t expect that to change.”
Jordan framed the extension around product exclusivity. “For more than 30 years, this partnership has been about creating something different, cards and memorabilia collectors can’t find anywhere else,” he said in a statement.
The mechanics of legacy partner status were not made public, but the positioning is clear: Upper Deck intends this to be a permanent arrangement with the athlete Masherah called critical to the company’s success.
The launch campaign carries some history. In 1992, Upper Deck ran an anonymous Chicago billboard reading “Trade Jordan,” then replaced it with imagery of Jordan Upper Deck trading cards to promote the licensing agreement that made him the company’s first exclusive basketball spokesperson, per Upper Deck’s release. The new campaign flips that message: “You Don’t Trade Greatness, You Keep it for a Lifetime.”
Holding Jordan While Fanatics Holds the Licenses
The extension matters because of what Upper Deck no longer has. The company last held NBA trading card licenses in 2009, and those rights now sit exclusively with Fanatics after 15 years with Panini, per The Athletic. Most modern greats, including LeBron James, sign with Topps and Fanatics. James left Upper Deck for an exclusive Fanatics deal in 2024 after spending his entire career with the company to that point.
Jordan remains the exception, and the most valuable one. He is tied to the most expensive publicly known sports card sale ever, an Upper Deck card, and he is the most searched athlete on eBay every month, according to The Athletic. Masherah also pointed to authentication as a core value of the arrangement, positioning Upper Deck as a safe channel for collectors in a market dense with fakes and counterfeits.
Twenty Three Sealed Packs and a Deal With No End Date
For operators watching the collectibles market, the story is concentration of a scarce asset. Fanatics controls the league licenses, but Upper Deck controls the one athlete whose autograph market functions independently of team logos, with current pieces priced from $7,000 to $40,000 on Upper Deck’s site. The near-term milestones are set: Goodwin Champions is on sale now, and the eBay auction closes August 9, when the market puts a public price on a sealed box of 1986 Fleer signed by the player inside it.
Source: The Athletic, Larry Holder, July 8, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7430177/2026/07/08/michael-jordan-upper-deck-partnership-extension/
Source: Upper Deck, July 8, 2026, https://upperdeck.com/upper-deck-extends-exclusive-relationship-with-michael-jordan-names-him-as-companys-first-legacy-partner/
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How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
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Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
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Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
