1955 Topps Hocus Focus Basketball

The 1955 Topps Hocus Focus cards are so rare that not all of the 126 cards in the set have turned up.  This is the only basketball card from the set, and its PSA population is 1. 

The card shows NBA Hall of Famer Neil Johnston of the Philadelphia Warriors battling Ray Felix of the New York Knicks in a game at Madison Square Garden on November 30, 1954.  Topps did not produce a basketball set until 1957, making this the rookie card of these notable players.  Johnston’s first professional sport was baseball, where he played in the Phillies minor league system.  In basketball, he was a four-time first-team all-NBA player who led the league in scoring in 1953, 1954, and 1955.  He played at Ohio State and is also a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame.  His career was cut short by a knee injury.  Ray Felix won the 1954 Rookie of the Year Award.  He finished eighth in the 1957 MVP voting.