Menendez brothers basketball card: Why This 1990 Mark Jackson Card Still Matters

You’re looking at a 1990-91 NBA Hoops card. It’s Mark Jackson, the New York Knicks point guard, mid-bounce, looking for an open teammate. For nearly thirty years, this was just a piece of "junk wax" era cardboard. You could find it in dusty shoeboxes or at the bottom of a 25-cent bin at any local hobby shop.

Then everything changed.

In late 2018, a guy named Stephen Zerance was doing some deep-dive research into the Menendez brothers' case. He was looking for evidence of their infamous post-murder spending spree. He found it in the most unlikely place imaginable. If you look just past Mark Jackson’s right shoulder, sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden, there they are. Lyle and Erik Menendez.

The Creepy Reality of the Menendez brothers basketball card

The photo was taken during the 1989-90 NBA season. Specifically, most hobbyists and sleuths point to a game played after August 20, 1989. That's the night José and Kitty Menendez were killed in their Beverly Hills home. The brothers look totally relaxed. They're just two wealthy guys enjoying a Knicks game, spending money they shouldn't have had.

It's surreal.

The menendez brothers basketball card isn't a special edition or a rare insert. It is simply Mark Jackson's base card, number 205 in the set. Because the murders happened in August and the basketball season didn't start until later that fall, the timeline fits perfectly. They were "living their best life" while the police were still trying to figure out who pulled the trigger.

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How Stephen Zerance Cracked the Case

Zerance didn't just stumble onto this. He was actively searching through old footage and photos of the brothers to see where they went during those months of freedom. When he spotted them on the card, he posted it on Twitter. It went nuclear.

The hobby exploded.

Suddenly, a card that was literally worthless became a "must-have" for true crime fans and sports collectors alike. It wasn't about the player anymore. Nobody cared about Mark Jackson's assist stats. They wanted the "murderer card."

Why the Value Skyrocketed (and Why eBay Got Mad)

Before the discovery, you couldn't give this card away. After the tweet? Prices jumped to $20, then $50, then $100 for high-grade copies.

eBay eventually stepped in.

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The platform has a strict policy against "murderabilia"—items associated with violent criminals. They started nuking listings left and right. If you titled your auction "Menendez Brothers Card," it was gone in minutes.

• The Workaround: Collectors started listing it simply as "1990-91 Hoops Mark Jackson #205."
• The Result: Prices stabilized, but the demand stayed high.
• Today's Market: You can usually grab a raw (unprotected) copy for $10 to $20. If it’s graded a PSA 10? You’re looking at hundreds.

Honestly, it’s one of the few cards from that era that actually has a "story" that keeps it relevant. Most cards from 1990 were overproduced into oblivion. This one survived because of a background detail that the photographers and editors at Hoops completely missed.

Is it really "Murderabilia"?

That’s the big debate in the collecting world. Some people find it disgusting. They think profiting off a card that features two men who killed their parents is peak "trashy." Others see it as a legitimate historical artifact. It's a snapshot of a moment in time that captures the brothers' mindset during the trial of the century.

Whatever you think, the card is staying. It’s part of the lore now.

How to Identify the Authentic 1990-91 Hoops #205

If you’re digging through your old stash, don't confuse this with other Mark Jackson cards. He had plenty. You are looking for the 1990-91 NBA Hoops #205.

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1. Check the Brand: It has to be NBA Hoops. Not Fleer, not Skybox.
2. Check the Number: Flip it over. Look for #205.
3. Check the Background: Look at the spectators sitting courtside behind Jackson. Lyle is on the left, Erik is on the right.

There are "error" versions rumored to exist, but mostly, it’s just the standard base card. Some people claim there are versions where the brothers were "airbrushed out," but that’s largely a myth. By the time anyone realized they were there, the production run was long finished.

The Future of the Card in 2026

With the recent surge in interest surrounding the Menendez case—thanks to documentaries and streaming series—the menendez brothers basketball card has seen another spike in 2025 and 2026. Collectors aren't just looking for the card; they're looking for copies to send to the brothers in prison for autographs.

Yeah, that’s actually happening.

Reports from hobby insiders suggest that some people have successfully had these cards signed and returned from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. If a regular card is worth $20, imagine what a dual-signed version goes for in a private sale. It’s dark. It’s weird. It’s the hobby in the 2020s.

What should you do if you own one?

If you've got one sitting in a binder, don't throw it away. Even though eBay is picky about how you list it, the historical value isn't going anywhere. It’s a talking piece.

If you want to sell it, be smart.
Don't use the brothers' names in the title on mainstream marketplaces.
Focus on the card number and the player.
The people who want it already know what they’re looking for.

Next Steps for Collectors:
Go check your 1990-91 Hoops sets. If you find card #205, place it in a penny sleeve and a top loader immediately. While it won't buy you a new car, it's a piece of true crime history that only gets more infamous as time goes on. If you're looking to buy, stick to reputable sellers on platforms like MySlabs or COMC where the "banned" status of the card is less of an issue than on eBay.