1988-89 Fleer #97 Joe Kleine
About Joe Kleine
A 6-foot-11 bruiser out of tiny Slater, Missouri — Basketball-Reference still lists him as "Smokin' Joe from Slater Mo.," a rhyming nod to that hometown — Joe Kleine starred at Arkansas after transferring from Notre Dame, earning First-Team All-SWC honors in 1984-85 and helping the Razorbacks stun Michael Jordan's No. 1 North Carolina in February 1984. He added Olympic gold with Bob Knight's 1984 U.S. team, then went sixth overall to Sacramento in the 1985 NBA Draft. Card #97 in 1988-89 Fleer is his rookie card, and its Kings uniform was outdated almost immediately — Sacramento dealt the big man to Boston midway through that very season. Kleine banged in the paint at center for fifteen NBA seasons (1985-2000) with the Kings, Celtics, Suns, Lakers, Nets, Bulls, and Trail Blazers, peaking at 9.8 points per game in 1987-88 and retiring with 4,666 points and 3,991 rebounds. The payoff for the long haul: a championship ring with the 1998 Chicago Bulls.
Sources: Wikipedia · Basketball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1-6 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 274 | 107 | 115 | 44 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-18. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. The graders do not break out the stickers, so sticker pages carry no table.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1988-89 Fleer Joe Kleine card?
It is card #97 of the 132-card 1988-89 Fleer Basketball base set, picturing Joe Kleine with the Sacramento Kings.
Is the 1988-89 Fleer Joe Kleine #97 a rookie card?
Yes - #97 is a rookie card, one of 31 in the set led by Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson and John Stockton.
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 2026-10-05.