In May 2003, a month before the draft, Upper Deck signed LeBron James to a multi-year exclusive agreement for autographs and memorabilia. Other companies could still make his cards; only Upper Deck could put his signature on them.
The company's flagship set that season ran to 342 cards in a single series, though the packaging said Series 1. The last 42 were the Star Rookies, inserted about one in four packs, and LeBron is the first of them, #301, with the Star Rookie logo on the front.
Other companies could make his cards. Only Upper Deck could put his signature on them.
The photograph is from a game: LeBron rising toward the basket in the Cavaliers' wine-red road jersey, number 23, against a black ground, with STAR ROOKIE in large faint letters across the lower part of the card.
The base card is not numbered. Parallels exist above it, among them a Gold version numbered to 100.
It is the plain flagship rookie from the company that had him under contract, and the season it was in packs he was named Rookie of the Year, the first Cavalier to win it.
