Basketball · REFERENCE ENTRY

Magic Johnson

1986 · Fleer Basketball · #53

Magic Johnson’s #53 in the regular 1986 Fleer basketball issue.

Sport: Basketball
Year / season: 1986
Set: Fleer Basketball
Number: #53
Format: Card

About this card

Magic Johnson’s 1986 Fleer Basketball card is number 53 in that release. Fleer returned to basketball in 1986-87 with a 132-card set that came with a sticker in each pack, and the late-1980s Fleer sets hold the rookie cards of many stars of that era.

Magic Johnson’s rookie-labeled entry in this catalog is the 1980 Topps Basketball #6, so this later issue carries no rookie label.

How to identify it

Fleer cards of this period show wear and miscuts clearly, and the most famous ones have been counterfeited, so compare the printing and the card back with a known example.

In Magic Johnson’s run

Magic Johnson has 2 entries in this catalog, from 1980 to 1986, and this is the most recent. Nearby entries are listed below, so you can compare the releases that sit around this one.

Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson, 1980 Topps Basketball #6

In the 1986 checklist

The catalog’s selected checklist for the 1986 Fleer Basketball release also includes Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. It is a partial checklist of cataloged cards, not the full release.

What to know about this issue

The card reference uses the regular Fleer issue and its printed number.
The separate Fleer sticker insert has a different checklist.

Inspect the source

Source reviewed 2026-10-08. The source describes this issue; it does not verify any item offered by a third party.

No assigned grade, market value or verified offer is supplied by this reference entry.

Read the basketball collecting guide

Raw or graded. Inspect the actual copy.

The issue stays 1986 · Fleer Basketball. These are research checks, not a condition assessment of a specimen.

Raw / ungraded

Match the issue: Match the full year or season, release, number and named edition to this reference. Ask for readable images of the actual item’s front and back.
Record visible condition: Inspect corners, edges, centering and surface in suitable photographs or in person. Record damage or unanswered questions without assigning a predicted professional grade.
Keep authentication separate: Ungraded does not establish authenticity or mean “never authenticated.” A protective case alone does not establish a professional condition grade.

Professionally graded

Read the complete label: Record the grading company, exact issue, card grade and any qualifiers or designation. Keep an autograph grade separate from the card’s condition grade. An authentication-only designation may have no numeric condition grade.
Compare the certification record: Use the company’s official lookup and compare its issue details and available images with the actual item, label and holder. A matching certification number alone does not establish that an offered item is genuine.
Compare within the stated scale: Retain the company’s exact grade name and number. Different companies and grade designations are not automatically equivalent; a numeric label does not establish a current price.

A source-linked reference or historical scan does not authenticate the card you are considering. CardRoster supplies no assigned grade, certification or price for it.