LeBron James is used to creating history. But the Lakers forward don’t even need to be present to make history. The NBA star’s jersey from his historic Game 7 NBA Finals championship win in 2013 was auctioned off for a record-breaking $3.7 million on Friday.
The Miami Heat jersey broke the previous record for a game-worn James jersey, which was $630,000 for his 2020 NBA All-Star Game top.
LeBron James’ Jersey From 2013 NBA Finals Sells For $3.6 Million At Auction https://t.co/YGh0J0KhTU pic.twitter.com/kXbwXIe71P
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 27, 2023
The jersey was worn by James during the Miami Heat’s Game 7 victory over the San Antonio Spurs to win back-to-back victories.
During the game, which was James’s first career in NBA Finals Game 7, he scored 37 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, enabling him to be voted NBA Finals MVP for the second year in a row.
“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 collectibles, said in a statement. “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.”
With its new multimillion-dollar price tag, the jersey joins the ranks of some of Sotheby’s most precious artifacts. It is just behind Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey (which sold for $10.1 million in September) and Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey (which sold for $9.3 million in May).
While the price for James’ jersey was undoubtedly eye-popping, it was on the lower end of the pre-auction estimate, which ranged from $3 million to $5 million.
James is close in on achieving his all-time point record, and it’s beyond our assumption how much someone will pay for the jersey he’ll be wearing when that occurs.
