1988-89 Fleer #41 Vinnie Johnson
About Vinnie Johnson
Nobody heated up faster than "The Microwave" — the nickname Boston's Danny Ainge hung on Vinnie Johnson for the way he scored in bunches the moment he checked in. A Brooklyn playground product who starred at Baylor — where his 50 points against TCU in 1979 remain a school record — Johnson went seventh overall to Seattle in the 1979 draft, then found his true home after a November 1981 trade to Detroit. For a decade the 6'2" guard was the Bad Boys' third guard behind Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, coming off the bench to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 — the repeat clinched by his own 14-footer with 0.7 seconds left in Game 5 against Portland, a dagger that briefly earned him a second nickname, "007." He retired in 1992 with 11,825 points over 13 seasons, and the Pistons raised his No. 15 to the rafters in 1994. This Fleer card, from Detroit's first championship season, isn't his rookie — but it's peak Microwave.
Sources: Wikipedia · Basketball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1-6 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 311 | 137 | 125 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 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 Detroit Pistons cards:
- #39 Adrian Dantley
- #40 Joe Dumars
- #42 Bill Laimbeer
- #43 Dennis Rodman
- #44 John Salley
- #45 Isiah Thomas
- Sticker #10 Isiah Thomas
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1988-89 Fleer Vinnie Johnson card?
It is card #41 of the 132-card 1988-89 Fleer Basketball base set, picturing Vinnie Johnson 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 2026-08-19.