Basketball · REFERENCE ENTRY
Kobe Bryant
1996 · Topps Chrome Basketball · #138
The base Topps Chrome #138 Bryant rookie, separate from the Refractor.
- Sport
- Basketball
- Year / season
- 1996
- Set
- Topps Chrome Basketball
- Number
- #138
- Format
- Card
- Issue status
- Rookie card
About this card
Kobe Bryant’s 1996 Topps Chrome Basketball card is number 138 in that release. This is a chromium release: Topps prints the design on reflective stock, and its Refractor parallels add a rainbow sheen when the card is tilted, with colored and numbered Refractors above them.
The catalog labels this a rookie card, based on the source cited below.
How to identify it
Base Chrome cards, Refractors and colored Refractors share a number, so tilt the card to read the finish and look for a serial number. Chrome and the paper set of the same year often share a design but are separate cards.
In Kobe Bryant’s run
Kobe Bryant has 2 entries in this catalog, from 1996 to 1996, and this is the most recent. Nearby entries are listed below, so you can compare the releases that sit around this one.
In the 1996 checklist
This is the only entry from the 1996 Topps Chrome Basketball release in the catalog so far. The full release has more cards; this page covers the one cataloged here.
What to know about this issue
- PSA catalogs the base card and Refractor as separate records using the same card number.
- The glossy Chrome surface is susceptible to scratches and wear.
Inspect the source
Source reviewed 2026-10-07. 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 guideRaw or graded. Inspect the actual copy.
The issue stays 1996 · Topps Chrome 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.