Topps officially released the 2025-26 Bowman Basketball collection on April 22, 2026, at 12 PM EST, marking a historic shift by including both NCAA and NBA players in the same product. The launch features a blend of current professional stars and collegiate prospects through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements.
The checklist for this season includes prominent NCAA names such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, Nate Ament, Juju Watkins, and Madison Booker. According to the product announcement, the intersection of card collecting and NIL is now actively influencing the recruiting landscape for collegiate athletics.
On the professional side, the set highlights high-profile rookies including Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Kon Knueppel. These newcomers appear alongside established league veterans such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The base set consists of 200 cards, evenly split between 100 prospects and 100 NBA veterans and rookies.
Collectors can find specialized “Rookie Red RC” cards within the packs. If a player featured on these specific red-logo cards eventually wins the Rookie of the Year award, the holder can exchange the card for FanCash. Topps has set the retail price for hobby boxes at $359.99, with each box guaranteed to contain two autographs.
The release introduces several high-value “case hit” inserts, including a collaboration with the Garbage Pail Kids (GPK) brand. This insert portrays NBA players in the classic GPK art style, such as a card featuring Anthony Edwards depicted as “Anthony Ant” holding an oversized basketball. Another stylized insert set uses a retro Bowman design that resembles an old-fashioned television with players rendered as cartoon characters.
The 2025-26 set also marks the basketball debut of “retrofractors,” a concept previously used in baseball products. These rare chase cards feature retired legends who never received a “1st Bowman” card during their playing careers, with Hall of Famer Bill Russell serving as the primary subject for this year’s retrofractor series. The collection is available through the Topps website, hobby shops, and various online retailers.
