The record price for a game-worn LeBron James jersey was shattered by more than five times as his 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 uniform sold for $3.7million at auction.
James, then of the Heat, dropped 37 points and 12 rebounds to defeat Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs to the championship.
This sale in New York dwarfs the $630,000 one fan paid for the Lakers’ star’s 2020 NBA All-Star Game jersey.
LeBron James’ Game 7 jersey from the 2013 NBA Finals has sold for $3.7million at auction
It is the most expensive jersey from James’ 20-year NBA career to be sold on the open market
So in terms of wearable memorabilia the sale made Friday for James’ 2013 jersey is far and away the most expensive from his collection.
But the current record for any item of James memorabilia is actually an autographed card from his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That card remarkably sold for $5.2m back in 2021 – the second highest-priced basketball trading card in history.
James produced a stunning Game 7 display to defeat San Antonio and win the 2013 NBA title
There was lots of anticipation when the jersey’s lot was put before auction Friday, with a pre-sale estimate of up to $5m given.
For Sotheby’s the sale goes down as one of their top three most valuable sports jersey sales ever.
James’ 2013 Game 7 uniform falls behind Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt from 1986, which sold for $9.3m in 2022, and Michael Jordan’s game-worn NBA Finals jersey from 1998.
The jersey of the Chicago Bulls legend fetched a staggering $10.1m when it sold last year.
‘Today’s tremendous result comes at a pivotal time in LeBron James’ career, where he is in arm’s reach of clenching the all-time points record – one of the NBA’s most revered accolades,’ Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables, said Friday.
He also won the NBA Finals MVP after putting up 37 points and 12 rebounds in the closeout win
‘Just months after the record-breaking sale of Michael Jordan ‘Last Dance’ 1998 NBA finals jersey, this successful sale of another incomparable legend’s jersey – one of the most significant jerseys to ever hit the auction block – further proves that the demand for sports memorabilia is at an all time high, and that the magic of sports continues to transcend and ignite fans and collectors alike.’
The buyer has purchased a piece of history with James sealing back-to-back championships in that famous Game 7 display.
He also claimed NBA Finals MVP that season and is one of only six players in the history of the NBA to win back-to-back Finals MVP awards.
