1988-89 Fleer #44 John Salley
About John Salley
The rookie card of Detroit's most quotable Bad Boy: John Salley, card #44 in 1988-89 Fleer. A Brooklyn product out of Canarsie High, Salley left Georgia Tech as the school's career blocked-shots leader — his No. 22 is retired there — before the Pistons grabbed him 11th overall in the 1986 draft. Nicknamed "Spider" for his long-limbed frame (Salley says a friend told the skinny 6'11" big man he looked like a daddy-longlegs, and the name stuck), he manned both forward and center while swatting 983 career blocks across 11 seasons. Salley helped Detroit's Bad Boys to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, added a third ring with the 72-win 1996 Bulls and a fourth with the 2000 Lakers — making him the first NBA player to win titles with three franchises, and the first to win them in three different decades. Over 748 games he averaged 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, then found a second act hosting The Best Damn Sports Show Period.
Sources: Wikipedia · Basketball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1-6 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 481 | 102 | 258 | 78 | 24 | 19 | 0 |
| SGC | 18 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
More Detroit Pistons cards:
- #39 Adrian Dantley
- #40 Joe Dumars
- #41 Vinnie Johnson
- #42 Bill Laimbeer
- #43 Dennis Rodman
- #45 Isiah Thomas
- Sticker #10 Isiah Thomas
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1988-89 Fleer John Salley card?
It is card #44 of the 132-card 1988-89 Fleer Basketball base set, picturing John Salley with the Detroit Pistons.
Is the 1988-89 Fleer John Salley #44 a rookie card?
Yes - #44 carries the rookie-card designation, part of a class of 31 rookie cards 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 2026-08-19.