by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 30, 2023

LeBron James’ Game-Worn 2013 Finals Miami Heat Jersey Breaks Record By Fetching $3.7 Million

A basketball jersey worn by future NBA Hall-of-Famer LeBron James sold for almost $4 million at a recent Sotheby’s auction.

According to ESPN, the winning bid for a game-worn Miami Heat basketball jersey by the current Lakers star, was snatched up for $3.7 million last Friday. The prized jersey was worn by James during the first half of Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals. The price paid is the third-most expensive game-worn jersey to have been sold at Sotheby’s. The price was within the range of $3-5 million, which was anticipated.

This is the first time that a game-worn jersey by James has hit the million mark. The previous record was a jersey James wore for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, which was auctioned off for $630,000 in 2020. A collector purchased a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection rookie patch autograph card for $5.2 million in April 2021.

Although this jersey sold for $3.7 million, it is only the third-most expensive game-worn jersey auctioned by Sotheby’s. Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan‘s “Last Dance” NBA Finals jersey sold for $10.91 million. And soccer player Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey was purchased for $9.28 million.

“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,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said in a written statement. “[After Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ jersey], this successful sale of another incomparable legend’s jersey [is] one of the most significant jerseys to ever hit the auction block.”

Barring a major injury, James is expected to become the all-time NBA scoring leader within the next two weeks.


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