My 13 year old son has a basketball coach named Rudy Hackett, who he really respects and admires. Coach Rudy played for the Pacers in 1976-77. I’d like to get my boy his coach’s basketball card. From talking to a couple sports card stores, it’s apparently a 1976-77 Topps “tall boy”. Here’s a link to what it looks like: [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/564990715743411697/](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/564990715743411697/)
Does anyone have one of these cards that they would be willing to sell me? It would make a 13 year old’s day. Thanks!
by DarkGrayDog
1 Comment
Unfortunately, I’m afraid I have some bad news; I don’t think that card actually exists.
For one, it doesn’t appear in a list of cards from that set – [https://www.sportscardspro.com/console/basketball-cards-1976-topps](https://www.sportscardspro.com/console/basketball-cards-1976-topps)
Additionally, look at how half of his face is cut off in the picture. I know Topps had a low priority on their basketball card line at that time compared to their baseball card offerings, but every real card in that set shows the featured player’s face front and center.
That’s likely because there’s literally one picture online showing Rudy Hackett in a Pacers uniform – and it was an Sports Illustrated cover in 1976 – [https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portland-trail-blazers-bill-walton-in-action-boxing-out-vs-news-photo/84045914?adppopup=true](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portland-trail-blazers-bill-walton-in-action-boxing-out-vs-news-photo/84045914?adppopup=true), and there’s likely a reason for that – he played all of 5 games for the Pacers and the game against Portland that this picture was taken was the last of them – https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hackeru01.html