2026 Topps NOW Knicks Champions Set: What to Chase
Fifty-three years. That's how long Knicks fans waited for a championship set worth holding. The 2026 Topps NOW Knicks Champions Set — a 16-card release with a seven-tier parallel ladder and three one-of-one redemptions — is it. The purchase window closed 20 June 2026; here's every rarity tier and which cards matter most.
What's Actually in the Box?
Every $79.99 set ships with 15 base cards — one per championship roster player — plus one guaranteed chase. That chase is a numbered parallel, an Image Variation SP, an autograph redemption, or an auto-relic. Most pulls will be a numbered parallel, not an autograph. The 15 subjects cover the full 2026 roster: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Pacôme Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Mohamed Diawara, and Jeremy Sochan. Cards ship 6–8 weeks after the window closed — expect late July to early August 2026.
How Does the Parallel Ladder Work?
Seven tiers, each numbered tighter than the last. The Blue & Orange /73 is the set's most narrative-loaded parallel: the number deliberately commemorates 1973, the year of the Knicks' last title before this one. Every base subject and every autograph subject also carries a FoilFractor 1/1, meaning at least 24 unique 1/1s exist across the set.
- Green Foil — /99
- Blue & Orange Foil — /73 (nods to the 1973 title)
- Gold Foil — /50
- Orange Foil — /25
- Black Foil — /10
- Red Foil — /5
- FoilFractor — 1/1
Are There Short Prints to Hunt?
Seven Image Variation SPs exist alongside the standard base cards: Brunson, KAT, OG Anunoby, Bridges, Hart, Shamet, and Robinson. Each carries an alternate image and is parallel-eligible up to a FoilFractor 1/1. Topps has not yet published the final print run for the championship team set — check the NBA Topps NOW Archive at topps.com once it goes live.
What Are the Three Cards Everyone Is Talking About?
Three 1/1 redemption cards headline the set. Each is inserted randomly; buyers receive a redemption card in their shipment and exchange it by mail for the actual signed card.
The Starting 5 Quintuple Autograph Redemption has on-card gold-ink signatures from all five starters — Brunson, KAT, OG Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart — on a single card. Topps describes it as the first five-player autograph ever created for an NBA Topps NOW release. The Brunson/KAT Dual Autograph FoilFractor Redemption pairs both inscribed '2026 NBA Champions.' The set's emotional centrepiece is the Brunson/Walt Frazier Dual Autograph-Relic Redemption: it contains pieces of Madison Square Garden court from both the 1973 Finals and the 2026 Finals — Game 5 of the 2026 series was clinched at MSG — bridging 53 years in a single artefact.
Nine players have solo on-card autograph redemptions at /10 or lower, each with Red Foil /5 and FoilFractor 1/1 variants: Brunson, KAT, OG Anunoby, Bridges, Hart, Shamet, McBride, Alvarado, and Clarkson.
How Do I Track Down Cards from This Set?
The set was a direct-order release through Topps.com and Fanatics — no hobby shop allocations. Secondary-market copies will circulate as shipments arrive from late July. Before you buy any card you're offered, snap a photo in CardLoft to confirm the parallel tier and serial number instantly — or list your own pulls in a private trade with collectors you already know, rather than a cold-sell marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
When will print runs be revealed?
After the purchase window closed on 20 June 2026. Topps posts confirmed print runs in the NBA Topps NOW Archive at topps.com — it was still blank as of 30 June.
When do the cards actually arrive?
6–8 weeks after the window closed on 20 June, putting most shipments in late July to early August 2026.
Is every set guaranteed to contain an autograph?
No. Every set includes one chase card — a numbered parallel, Image Variation SP, autograph redemption, or auto-relic. The majority of pulls will be numbered parallels, not autos.
What makes the Brunson/Frazier relic different from a standard memorabilia card?
The relic pieces come from two Finals played 53 years apart, both at Madison Square Garden. It's a dual-era artefact connecting the only two Knicks championship teams in history.
Are the autographs stickers or on-card?
On-card. All solo auto subjects and all three multi-auto 1/1s feature on-card signatures. They ship as redemption cards first; the signed card follows by mail after redemption.