Artist R.G. (Robert) Laughlin is mostly remembered for his hand-drawn baseball card sets, but in 1974, he took a shot at basketball.
Fleer included a 21-card insert set called The Shots in their 1974 basketball cloth patch sticker packs. Each pack contained two team logo cloth patches, one stick of gum, and one of these cards. As The Fleer Sticker Project noted, the cards weren’t advertised on the wrappers; they served a functional role, acting as a stiffener to keep the packs from bending due to the flexible cloth stickers.
The cards, measuring 2 1/2″ by 4″, featured colorful illustrations of various types of basketball shots, with descriptive write-ups on the back.
SPOART over on Bluesky recently shared a photo of card #21, The “Good Shot”, which prompted this closer look. It’s always fun to see Laughlin’s signature style outside of his usual baseball comfort zone; he was more than a one-sport artist.
Happy collecting!
P.S. If you’re interested, they’re relatively affordable. In fact, in February 2022, Memory Lane sold the #5 ranked set on PSA’s Registry for just $300.
P.P.S. I’m unsure why PSA put 1973 on the flip when the card’s copyright shows 1974 on the back.
I love Laughlin’s artwork. Super nostalgic. Whenever I see it, it takes me back to the 70’s and 80’s.
His stuff is fantastic. I was debating shifting my PC to only his cards!