1988-89 Fleer #54 Purvis Short
About Purvis Short
Few jumpers in NBA history climbed higher than Purvis Short's — fans knew him as the "Rainbowman" for the distinctive, rainbow-like arc on his shot, a touch he said dated to his Hattiesburg high school days. Twice SWAC Player of the Year (1977, 1978) at Jackson State, he went fifth overall to Golden State in the 1978 draft, one pick before Larry Bird. The 6-7 small forward gave the Warriors nine seasons of scoring, peaking at 28.0 points per game in 1984-85 — fourth in the league — with a 59-point eruption against the Nets that November. Dealt to Houston before 1987-88, he appears as a Rocket on card #54 in 1988-89 Fleer; a decade into his career by then, this is not a rookie card. He wrapped up with New Jersey in 1989-90, retiring with 14,607 points and a 17.3 average over 842 games — remarkably, without a single All-Star nod.
Sources: Wikipedia · Basketball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1-6 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 245 | 77 | 114 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 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 Houston Rockets cards:
- #50 Joe Barry Carroll
- #51 Sleepy Floyd
- #52 Rodney McCray
- #53 Akeem Olajuwon
- #63 Mike Woodson
- #126 Akeem Olajuwon
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1988-89 Fleer Purvis Short card?
It is card #54 of the 132-card 1988-89 Fleer Basketball base set, picturing Purvis Short with the Houston Rockets.
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.