2026-27 Topps Basketball Chase Cards: What to Look For

All Kings Gold 1/1 is the headline chase in 2026-27 Topps Basketball. But it is only one way to build a collection from this release. Bounce brings a basketball-inspired texture, Hardwood Stars uses a court-inspired design, and the autograph checklist gives rookie and veteran collectors several different looks to pursue.

This guide puts the cards, names and numbers together so you can build a want list or identify a pull. For release dates, box contents and the full base rookie list, use our Flagship release guide.

Jump to: Chase cheat sheet · All Kings · Bounce and Hardwood Stars · Rookie card numbers · Autographs · Base variations

2026-27 Topps Basketball chase-card cheat sheet

SP and SSP mean short print and super short print. Neither label supplies a numerical print run. A serial stamp such as /10 counts copies of that particular version; it does not tell you the chance of pulling one from a pack.

All Kings: the Gold 1/1 chase and full checklist

Topps is introducing Gold 1/1 All Kings cards to basketball for this release. Start by separating the regular All Kings insert from that one-of-one parallel when searching listings or comparing results. A sale of one version does not establish the value of the other.

The checklist connects established stars with the new rookie class: Cooper Flagg is AK-3, LeBron James AK-4, Victor Wembanyama AK-7 and Stephen Curry AK-10. AJ Dybantsa begins the rookie stretch at AK-16, followed by Darryn Peterson at AK-17 and Cameron Boozer at AK-18.

There are 24 listed All Kings cards. The official PDF runs through AK-25 but skips AK-5. That gap is not an extra confirmed card or a print-run clue.

See the complete All Kings checklist: 24 cards

All Kings — official checklist numbers

Card	Player
AK-1	Giannis Antetokounmpo
AK-2	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
AK-3	Cooper Flagg
AK-4	LeBron James
AK-6	Luka Dončić
AK-7	Victor Wembanyama
AK-8	Anthony Edwards
AK-9	Kevin Durant
AK-10	Stephen Curry
AK-11	Nikola Jokić
AK-12	Shaquille O'Neal
AK-13	Dirk Nowitzki
AK-14	Magic Johnson
AK-15	Larry Bird
AK-16	AJ Dybantsa
AK-17	Darryn Peterson
AK-18	Cameron Boozer
AK-19	Caleb Wilson
AK-20	Keaton Wagler
AK-21	Mikel Brown Jr.
AK-22	Darius Acuff Jr.
AK-23	Kingston Flemings
AK-24	Morez Johnson Jr.
AK-25	Brayden Burries

For a player collector, the best starting point is the exact checklist number. Save that number with the parallel name in your want list; “All Kings Curry” alone can mix different seasons and versions in a search.

Bounce and Hardwood Stars: two designs to recognize

Bounce uses technology intended to mimic the texture of a basketball. The pictured Keaton Wagler card shows the design; his checklist number is TB-20. Other choices include Cooper Flagg TB-10, Vince Carter TB-15 and AJ Dybantsa TB-16. There are 25 cards in the numbered checklist.

Hardwood Stars takes its visual cue from the court. Cameron Boozer is HS-18, while LeBron James is HS-6, Luka Dončić HS-7 and Nikola Jokić HS-10. It also has 25 listed cards. Topps calls Hardwood Stars short-printed, but that description alone cannot establish whether it is harder to pull than Bounce.

These are distinct insert sets. A Hardwood Stars card is not the same thing as a Wood variation of a base card. Check the set name and card number before grouping either into a player's parallel run.

Which rookies have all three inserts?

The ten rookies below appear in All Kings, Bounce and Hardwood Stars. Use this as a three-card want list for your player; select a name to see their other cards in the parallel guide.

These rows describe membership in the insert sets. They do not establish that every player has every possible parallel. For a specific numbered version, check its own listing in the parallel guide.

Quest for the Crown: check your box format

Quest for the Crown is listed for Hobby and Hobby Jumbo. Its ten-card checklist includes LeBron James QC-2, Luka Dončić QC-3, Victor Wembanyama QC-4 and Stephen Curry QC-6. None of the ten names is from the new rookie class.

If this is the insert you want, establish that your box contains it before comparing prices. For other chases, use the exact format's published odds when available. A product-wide promotional image is not proof that a card appears in every format.

Autographs: identify the set before comparing the card

Flagship Real One Autographs provide a familiar design for veteran and legend collectors. The previews above also show why a player name and the word “auto” are not enough to identify a card: finish and serial numbering belong in the description.

Rookie collectors can compare Rookie Photo Shoot Autographs with the throwback 1981-82 Topps Basketball Rookie Autographs. Mikel Brown Jr.'s throwback card is 81BR-6. The official checklist also has separate Chrome autograph sections, so keep the paper and Chrome versions distinct in searches and comparisons.

Before buying an autograph, match the season, exact family, card number, finish and serial stamp. Read the card's autograph wording and inspect the signature area. A promotional front image alone is not enough to settle every signing-method question.

Base variations: the cards easiest to overlook

Keep a regular base image of your player handy when sorting packs. An alternate photograph, transparent stock or a different finish deserves a closer look, even when the card shares the same base number.

• Golden Mirror Image variations: compare the photograph with the regular base card, then check the named variation's player list.
• Clear variations: acetate cards numbered to 10. The official list includes AJ Dybantsa #256, Darryn Peterson #257 and Cameron Boozer #258.
• Player Number variations: Topps lists these as Hobby-box exclusives. Do not assume the same availability as every other variation.
• FoilFractor: a one-of-one parallel. Confirm the exact card and stamp rather than identifying it from color alone.

The base parallel guide and player lookup separate the families and eligible players. That matters when a seller uses “SP,” “variation” and “parallel” interchangeably.

A practical want list before you buy

Choose a player first, then pick the design you want to own. For Cameron Boozer, for example, HS-18, TB-18 and AK-18 give you three distinct insert targets. Add the exact autograph or base variation separately. This makes it easier to compare the right listings and avoid buying a different version by mistake.

If you are opening boxes, check format eligibility first. If you are buying singles, compare completed sales of the same card and condition. Keep asking prices separate from realized prices, and raw copies separate from graded copies.

Sources and release updates

Checked November 4, 2026: Topps lists its main U.S. sale for November 5 at noon ET, with Mega boxes on November 12. We did not find a 2026-27 Flagship Basketball entry on its odds index at this check. This article does not assign unnumbered inserts a print run or rank cards by sale value.

Card numbers and membership come from the official numbered checklist. Design and scarcity descriptions come from Topps' release page and collector guide; format availability comes from its box guide. Card images are credited beside each pair. Cover images: Topps.