Add The New York Post on Google Talk about catching a lucky break.
The lucky collector who acquired the one-of-a-kind NBA Debut Patch card of Mavericks star Cooper Flagg has come forward to describe the moment he took ownership of the prized collectible — which has already prompted multimillion-dollar offers.
“When it happened, I mean, I went to the floor like a baby in the fetal position,” Clover, South Carolina, resident Jason Williams told CNN in an interview Saturday. “I mean, it was just emotional because I knew. I knew what had happened.
“It took me a few seconds for it to register in my mind, but it was just emotions took over me.”
Williams, 50, purchased a spot in a “break” with Rhode Island-based RhodyBreakers this past Monday night and watched the livestream on his phone.
Breaks are a popular part of the modern trading-card hobby in which collectors purchase spots in a livestreamed box or case opening rather than buying the product outright, with cards distributed based on the players or teams assigned to each participant.
The father of five revealed that his spot in Monday’s break cost him $515.
“It was an expensive one to me, but well worth it,” Williams said.
When it became clear that the breakers had hit a major card, Williams said he put the livestream on a big screen inside his home for the big reveal.
The one-of-one collectible is a rookie card of Flagg, bearing his autograph with an embedded NBA Debut Patch that he wore in his first game.
The hit was a big deal for everyone involved, including RhodyCards, who called this particular card “a unicorn.”
“We’ve had some good ones, but a big pull for us is 15-20 grand. This is just a unicorn,” breaker Christopher Card told The Providence Journal. “This is one of the most anticipated cards in modern card history.”
Naturally, the value of the card and what it may fetch if it reaches auction has been at the forefront of talks.
The Mavericks put out a lucrative bounty to acquire the card from whoever pulled it, which included 32 years of season tickets, signed Flagg merchandise, a meet-and-greet, and a tour of the team facility.
Auction platform Alt began a “bounty auction” the day after the card was pulled, allowing interested buyers to submit bids for the card that become binding if the platform can consign the card.
As of Sunday afternoon, the bounty auction sits at $3.1 million after 12 bids.
The expectation has been that the Flagg card would easily go for over $1 million, especially given that a similar card of Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes sold for $1.11M in 2025.
Other rare trading cards have sold for big bucks recently, including a one-of-one dual gold logoman of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani that sold for $10 million.
Flagg, who took home Rookie of the Year honors, urged the lucky collector that ends up with the card not to sell right away.
“Hold on to it, hold on to it,” the teen star said at Fanatics Fest in New York City after signing the card. “I think it will gain in value as I go on through my career, so it will be a good piece to hang on to.”
It seems that, at least for now, Williams is following Flagg’s advice.
He noted in a separate ESPN interview that the card is in a “safe place” as he contemplates his next move.
“Right now, I’m not even looking at the money,” Williams said.
“For me, I am looking forward to the experiences that I’m gonna get out of this and the things that my family and my kids are going to get to experience that are memories for a lifetime.”
