1988-89 Fleer #45 Isiah Thomas
About Isiah Thomas
Chicago's West Side produced few tougher exports than Isiah Thomas, who led Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers to the 1981 NCAA title as a sophomore before Detroit grabbed him second overall in that summer's draft. The 6'1" point guard ran the Pistons for all 13 of his seasons (1981-94), earning All-Star nods his first twelve years, two All-Star Game MVPs (1984, 1986), five All-NBA selections, and the 1984-85 assist crown en route to 18,822 points and 9,061 assists. They called him the Baby-Faced Assassin — a sweet, smiling demeanor covering cutthroat competitiveness — and the Bad Boys he led proved it with back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, Thomas adding Finals MVP hardware in the second run. Card #45 isn't his rookie, but it's a time capsule all the same: pulled from 1988-89 Fleer packs the very season the Bad Boys finally broke through for the 1989 crown. Springfield welcomed him with the Hall of Fame Class of 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia · Basketball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1-6 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,215 | 83 | 571 | 360 | 113 | 87 | 1 |
| SGC | 77 | 3 | 17 | 34 | 15 | 8 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-18. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). The graders do not break out the stickers, so sticker pages carry no table.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Isiah Thomas in this product: Sticker #10
More Detroit Pistons cards:
- #39 Adrian Dantley
- #40 Joe Dumars
- #41 Vinnie Johnson
- #42 Bill Laimbeer
- #43 Dennis Rodman
- #44 John Salley
- Sticker #10 Isiah Thomas
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1988-89 Fleer Isiah Thomas card?
It is card #45 of the 132-card 1988-89 Fleer Basketball base set, picturing Isiah Thomas with the Detroit Pistons.
How many cards are in the 1988-89 Fleer Basketball set?
132 base cards - 119 players ordered by team, the All-Star subset #120-131 and a checklist - plus the 11-card Super Star Sticker insert, for 143 cards in a master run. There are no variations; three backs carry uncorrected errors (#20, #26, #100).
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, Basketball-Reference, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-23.