New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns has been having a solid season. However, he made unexpected headlines off the court this week.
Towns scored one of the biggest financial wins of the young NBA season, and it also had nothing to do with basketball. Towns sold a rare Yoshinobu Yamamoto 1-of-1 rookie card for an eye-popping $72,000. It set a new record for any trading card featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers ace. The sale, completed on Fanatics Collect, instantly became one of the most talked-about moments in both the sports collecting world and the Knicks’ orbit.
The twist? Towns pulled the card himself. The Knicks' big man has become an active figure in the sports card space. He regularly posts unboxings and collection updates through his Big Bodegas Cards Instagram account. Earlier this year, he opened a $300 box of 2024 Topps Inception baseball cards. Inside was the jackpot: a 1-of-1 Logoman rookie card. It came with an authentic jersey patch and Yamamoto’s signature. The combination of rarity, star power, and perfect timing made the card one of the most coveted MLB collectibles of 2025.
Interest in Yamamoto memorabilia exploded after his historic 2025 campaign. The Dodgers pitcher delivered one of the most dominant postseason runs in recent memory. He led Los Angeles to its second straight World Series title. Yamamoto finished the 2025 MLB regular season with a 12–8 record, a sharp 2.49 ERA, and an All-Star selection. However, he saved his best for October. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, he authored a legendary performance. Yamamoto had a complete-game win in Game 2. That was followed by a win in Game 6 and clutch relief innings in Game 7 to seal a dramatic 5–4 extra-inning victory. His heroics earned him World Series MVP.
For Towns, a longtime fan of the collecting hobby, the sale marks the perfect intersection of passion and profit. Towns continues chasing wins with the Knicks. Now, he is also responsible for one of the biggest hobby moments of 2025, courtesy of a card pull that turned into a small fortune.
