1961-62 Fleer Basketball #44 Len Wilkens
1961-62 Fleer Basketball #44 Len Wilkens
About this card
The 1961-62 Fleer Basketball Len Wilkens is card #44 of 66, in the set's Portrait subset (#1-44, the numbered portraits). It is the recognized Rookie Card for Len Wilkens. It is one of the set's star key cards. Uncorrected error (UER): the surname is misspelled "WILKINS" on the front and back; the player is Lenny Wilkens. 1961-62 Fleer was Fleer's only major NBA issue between the 1957-58 Topps set and the 1969-70 Topps era - 66 cards split into 44 Portrait cards (#1-44) and 22 In Action cards (#45-66), every one single-printed with no short prints.
About Len Wilkens
Leonard "Lenny" Wilkens earned a scholarship to Providence College, where he was a 1960 All-American and NIT Most Valuable Player. The St. Louis Hawks drafted him sixth overall in 1960, and the 6-foot-1 left-handed guard played 15 NBA seasons for the Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers (1960–75). A nine-time All-Star, Wilkens led the NBA in assists in 1969-70, won the 1971 All-Star Game MVP, and retired ranked second in career assists (7,211). He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and again as a coach in 1998, having won the 1979 NBA title with Seattle and later becoming the winningest coach in league history. This 1961-62 Fleer issue is his rookie card and a famous uncorrected error: it misspells his surname as "Wilkins."
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 959 | 3 | 47 | 221 | 218 | 182 | 114 | 169 | 5 |
| SGC | 296 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 30 | 51 | 73 | 113 | 15 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-09. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8).
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Frequently asked questions
Is the 1961-62 Fleer Len Wilkens a rookie card?
Yes. The 1961-62 Fleer Basketball #44 Len Wilkens is his recognized Rookie Card. The set's 19 rookie cards are all numbered Portrait cards (#1-44); a player's In Action card is a second card, not an RC.
How rare is the 1961-62 Fleer Len Wilkens in high grade?
Condition-scarce. PSA has graded about 959 copies and SGC about 296, yet only 3 have reached PSA 10 and 47 are PSA 9. Every card in the set was single-printed - there are no short prints - so all of its scarcity is condition scarcity, and clean, well-centered copies sit far above the raw totals. Population snapshot 2026-07-09.
Why is card #44 Len Wilkens misspelled?
Uncorrected error (UER): the surname is misspelled "WILKINS" on the front and back; the player is Lenny Wilkens. Every copy carries the misspelling, and there is no corrected variation.
What makes the 1961-62 Fleer Len Wilkens a key card?
It is one of the set's star cards, from the only major NBA card set issued between 1957-58 Topps and 1969-70 Topps - the defining basketball issue of the 1960s. Value depends heavily on grade and centering; use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Basketball-Reference · hoophall.com · Wikipedia. Bio and card data compiled & maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-09.
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