The “Cursed” NBA Card: The Story of the Menendez Brothers
A seemingly ordinary NBA trading card hid a chilling secret – two young murderers sitting courtside, just weeks after killing their parents
It’s one of the most bizarre stories where sports and true crime unexpectedly collide.
During the 1989-90 NBA season, the New York Knicks were playing at Madison Square Garden, surrounded by photographers snapping hundreds of pictures for trading cards and magazines. One of those photographers ended up capturing not just a basketball moment – but a piece of criminal history.
In the front row, among celebrities like Spike Lee, sat two seemingly ordinary young men. What no one realized was that they were Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers who had brutally murdered their parents just weeks earlier – and were now casually attending a Knicks game as if nothing had happened.
The Crime
In August 1989, the Menendez brothers – Lyle (21) and Erik (18) – shot and killed their wealthy parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion. Their plan was to make it look like a mob hit, inherit the fortune, and live freely on their parents’ wealth.
And that’s exactly what they did – for a while. They spent lavishly on Rolex watches, luxury cars, designer clothes, and even courtside tickets to NBA games. But one of those splurges would come back to haunt them.
The Photograph That Made History
During that Knicks game, an NBA Hoops photographer was taking shots for the 1990-91 trading card series, focusing on Mark Jackson, New York’s point guard.
Completely by accident, the Menendez brothers appear in the background, seated courtside – smiling, relaxed, and unaware that they were being immortalized in what would become one of the most infamous sports cards ever printed.
When the #205 Mark Jackson card was released, nobody noticed anything unusual. It was just another collectible. Not even the police realized the killers were sitting right there – in plain sight.
The Shocking Discovery
Months later, in March 1990, Erik Menendez confessed the murders to his psychologist, who alerted authorities. The brothers were arrested, and their sensational trial became national news.
Years after the conviction, a sharp-eyed collector or true crime enthusiast spotted the connection: those two men in the background of the Mark Jackson card were the Menendez brothers, caught courtside between murders and arrest.
The Card’s Meteoric Rise
What was once a card worth a few cents suddenly became a cultural artifact – a strange intersection of basketball history and real-life tragedy.
Prices skyrocketed. Once nearly worthless, the Mark Jackson “Menendez card” began selling for $200 to $1,000 or more, depending on its condition and certification. Every time the brothers’ story resurfaced in pop culture – most recently through a Netflix docudrama – the card’s value and notoriety spiked again.
A chilling reminder that sometimes, the darkest stories hide in plain sight – even on a simple NBA trading card.