1988-89 Fleer #32 Roy Tarpley
About Roy Tarpley
Few careers burned as bright and brief as Roy Tarpley's. The 6-foot-11 forward/center starred at Michigan, winning 1985 Big Ten Player of the Year honors before Dallas grabbed him seventh overall in the 1986 draft. In two stints with the Mavericks (1986-91, 1994-95) he made the 1986-87 All-Rookie First Team, then delivered one of the great bench seasons ever — 13.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a night to win 1987-88 NBA Sixth Man of the Year — and hammered the Lakers for 15.9 points and 13 boards per game in the 1988 Western Conference Finals. Card #32 is his rookie card, and it captures the peak: substance-abuse suspensions cost him three full seasons, and after a brief comeback the NBA banned him permanently in 1995. He closed his NBA line at 12.6 points and 10.0 rebounds across 280 games, then won the 1993 FIBA European Cup with Aris and a 1994 Greek League title with Olympiacos. A tantalizing what-if, and this Fleer rookie tells the story.
Sources: Wikipedia · Basketball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1-6 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 430 | 39 | 199 | 147 | 33 | 12 | 0 |
| SGC | 13 | 0 | 2 | 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 Dallas Mavericks cards:
- #27 Mark Aguirre
- #28 Rolando Blackman
- #29 James Donaldson
- #30 Derek Harper
- #31 Sam Perkins
- Sticker #1 Mark Aguirre
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1988-89 Fleer Roy Tarpley card?
It is card #32 of the 132-card 1988-89 Fleer Basketball base set, picturing Roy Tarpley with the Dallas Mavericks.
Is the 1988-89 Fleer Roy Tarpley #32 a rookie card?
Yes - #32 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.