LeBron James Lakers Patch Sparks Topps Relic Cards

LeBron James is partnering with Topps on special relic cards as he begins his 23rd NBA season. Topps says James will wear a commemorative patch on his jersey, and some of those patches will be used as inserts. The patch features a silhouette of James "doing his usual pregame chalk toss" and nods to his stops with the Lakers, Cavaliers and Heat. Merlin sees this as another step in the patch-driven collectible era. Topps, owned by Fanatics, already marks rookies with debut patches and awards winners with a gold logoman, so a LeBron season patch is both a branding move and a collector’s lure. Merlin knows a high school fan will spot the drama: a veteran icon plus limited patch supply usually equals market interest.