The much-anticipated discovery of the Cooper Flagg NBA Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card, which is expected to sell for millions if it reaches public auction, featured the full range of emotions from everyone involved when it was pulled on Monday.Chris Card of Rhody Breakers, who had just found the one-of-a-kind Flagg Debut Patch redemption card in a box break streaming live on YouTube, was calm and collected, all things considered.“Oh my god,” Card said. “Welp, there it is. Rhody did it.”Chris Louth, who was sitting next to Card, didn’t muster a word while sliding his chair back from the table, hands behind his head.About 800 miles away, the ultimate Flagg rookie card’s new owner was in tears.“Took me about five seconds to realize what I was looking at and then I went straight to the fetal position, crying like a baby,” Jason Williams told The Athletic. “I don’t even know where the emotions came from but they just took over. It was insane.”
Cooper Debut patch has been hit by Rhody Breaks. Nice to see a big card get hit and people not yell and scream. pic.twitter.com/OTpO8mxiOr
— NEO Cards & Comics (@NEOCards_Comics) August 11, 2026A Clover, SC, native, Williams is now the owner of one of the most valuable basketball cards in existence, but he has a collecting journey not unlike many hobbyists. Williams, 50, started collecting when he was 12 but took breaks in his teens and 20s as life happened. Now a father of five who works at a local machine shop with his oldest son, Williams got back into the hobby heavily in his mid-30s.With his nearest card shop about 45 minutes away, Williams regularly participates in online box breaks, which allow customers to purchase the rights to specific teams or players in a set number of packs or boxes being opened. Williams has been a long-time customer of Rhode Island-based Rhody Breakers since discovering the company during Covid, and purchased the rights to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-hobby-box break of 2025-26 Topps Chrome Updates Basketball.Williams largely collects players from the Atlanta Braves, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets, but will aim for big hits in breaks. He paid $515 that night, hoping for something special.
