LeBron James’ Historic NBA Finals Jersey Fetches $3.6 Million at Auction
A living legend if there ever was one, NBA superstar LeBron James easily ranks amongst the greatest basketball players in history. That makes LeBron James stuff a pretty wise investment going forward for astute collectors and resellers. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that one of his former jerseys sold for the highest price ever at a Sotheby’s auction last month, fetching USD$3.68 million (AUD$5.637 million). This makes it the third most costly NBA jersey ever sold. Success!
For all the basketball fans out there, the 2013 NBA Championship series was truly one to remember. After leading the Miami Heat to their best season in franchise history, LeBron James continued to dominate through the playoffs up to the finals against the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat were down for the count by Game 6 until a late-stage rally and crucial buzzer shot by Ray Allen flipped the tables and paved the way for victory. King James was named NBA Finals MVP but he also had vital help from talented teammates such as Allen and Dwyane Wade.
LeBron was already an NBA champion and Finals MVP before his showdown against the Spurs, but many say it was the 2012-2013 season that ascended him to the ranks of all-time great (you can argue amongst yourselves as to who was the GOAT). During Game 7 of the Finals, he famously achieved a double-double by nabbing 37 points and 12 rebounds, breaking an NBA Finals Game 7 scoring record in the process. It was the #6 jersey he wore during the first half of this very same game that sold at auction in January of 2023, fetching an impressive USD$3.68 million.
Crafted by Adidas from high-quality mesh, the LeBron James jersey appeared to be in nice overall condition—all things considered—by the time it hit the auction block. It went on to become the highest-selling LeBron James jersey to date. It’s also the third-most-valuable game-worn NBA jersey ever sold, falling behind Michael Jordan’s
The jersey that Kobe Bryant wore during his MVP season with the Lakers in 2007 (which sold for USD$5.8 million) and the 1998 NBA Finals jersey (which sold for USD$10.1 million).
At auction, the athletic jerseys of Argentine football player Diego Maradona and baseball player Babe Ruth have each brought in millions of dollars.
Sports cards typically surpass athletic jerseys in terms of surpassing the million-dollar mark, even with these historically high auction prices. However, if you’re going to spend more than $3 million on an NBA jersey, getting one that was worn by King James during his heyday is undoubtedly a smart move.
.
