A jersey worn by basketball superstar LeBron James sold at auction for $3.7 million, five times more than the previous record for one of his jerseys.
Sale sparks even higher-than-usual interest in the 38-year-old LA Lakers icon as he nears an all-time NBA record: James needs just 178 points to eclipse Lakers legend Kareem Abdul’s record of 38,387 points -Jabbar.
Sotheby’s in New York has sold the jersey James wore while playing for the Miami Heat in their 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 win against the San Antonio Spurs. He shattered the previous record of $630,000 for an All-Star tank worn by him in 2020.
Sports memorabilia is big business. Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for $10.1 million in September 2022, is currently the most valuable item. Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” shirt sold for $9.3 million at Sotheby’s in London last year. Sotheby’s also sold a dress worn by the late Princess Diana for $604,800.