Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The discovery of a LeBron James 2022 All-Star Game jersey interrupted the Chamberlain hubbub. Sold on eBay for $800, the jersey was listed as “used” but made no mention that it was used by James himself in the actual NBA All-Star Game. After being photo-matched — a process wherein experts compare identifying details such as unique scuff marks or stitching imperfections to player photos from a particular event — to the jersey James wore in that All-Star Game, memorabilia experts Chris Ivy and David Kohler told The Athletic the eBay find should sell for at least in the $140,000 range, with the possibility of a $250,000 price point.
For someone as seasoned as Ivy, the director of sports auctions for Heritage Auctions, it’s a lesson in always keeping your eyes wide open as a collector. “You’ll get these stories from time to time where somebody gets something super cheap and has no idea what it’s worth and then all of a sudden it’s worth six figures, seven figures,” Ivy said. “That’s the fun part of collecting is that it’s that treasure hunt. It’s (the) thrill (of the) chase that’s so fun for collectors, and there are deals to be had out there.”
During the Knicks' ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway just over a month ago, the street, lined with rabid fans, displayed an additional name: Champions Way. Now the Champions Way sign could be displayed on your mantelpiece. The city will auction an authentic Champions Way street sign, with bidding that began at 9 a.m. Wednesday, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Yume Kitasei announced on Wednesday.
A Wilt Chamberlain warmup jacket originally found in a Portland, Oregon, Goodwill sold for $89,600 (including buyer's premium) at Sotheby's on Monday. In January, Quinn Brown, 19, raided a bargain bin, looking for a jacket he'd seen someone toss in that seemed like it bore Los Angeles Lakers colors. Brown had been buying vintage clothes to resell online for three years; his priciest resell had netted him $250. The warmup jacket says "Chamberlain" on the back and cost Brown $3.07.
The jacket turned out to not only be legitimate but a significant piece of Chamberlain and Lakers memorabilia: The jacket was "likely" used throughout the 1971-72 NBA season but was definitively matched to the 1972 NBA Finals, Chamberlain's second title and the Lakers' first championship Los Angeles; Chamberlain also won Finals MVP, his first as the award wasn't introduced until 1969. The jacket was also matched to the 1972-73 NBA season, Chamberlain's last in which he set the single-season record for field goal percentage (72.7%) that wasn't broken until the 2019-20 season.
Advertisement
A thrift store find could now sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A routine treasure hunt at a Hillsboro Goodwill store in January has turned into a find of a lifetime for 19-year-old Quinn Brown. The Portland resident said he discovered a Los Angeles Lakers warm-up jacket that has since been authenticated as one worn by NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.
For just $3.07, the jacket was his. Brown said he had an inkling the jacket may be the real deal. So, he posted a photo of it on Instagram, where it caught the attention of Sotheby’s, one of the world’s largest auction houses. Before long, the jacket was on its way to New York, where it was professionally authenticated through SIA Photo Match.
“They said your jacket has been matched to the 1972 NBA Finals. I knew the NBA Finals jersey sold for $4.9 million. That’s the jersey he wore under my jacket,” Brown said. According to Sotheby’s, the jacket was also photo-matched to images of Chamberlain wearing it during the 1972-73 NBA season, his final season in the league. The jacket is currently up for auction at Sotheby’s with an estimated value of $150,000 to $250,000.
The ball that New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby tipped in to seal the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history and win Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs was returned to the Knicks shortly before it was scheduled to hit the Sotheby’s auction block Tuesday.
“The game ball from Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals holds significant importance to the New York Knicks, their fans, and the city, and will remain with the team as a lasting piece of franchise history. As such, it will not be included in Sotheby’s June 30 auction, which will continue to feature a curated selection of authentic jerseys and memorabilia from the series,” an NBA spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic when asked why the ball was withdrawn.
Advertisement
In the absence of the ball, perhaps the standout piece in the auction is Finals MVP Jalen Brunson’s jersey from Game 1, in which he scored 30 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks jump out to an early series lead. There were 40 bids on the Brunson jersey within the first hour of the auction opening, with a high bid of $110,000.
The ball that helped deliver the most significant moment in modern New York basketball history is headed to auction. The ball from OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals will be sold by Sotheby’s beginning June 30.
The basketball is expected to generate enormous interest because of its connection to a play that helped propel the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years. It may be the single most important play in the history of New York basketball.
A genuine piece of the Chicago Bulls dynasty history is up for grabs -- and it's ain't a replica! The exact 1992-93 NBA World Champions banner that hung in the old Chicago Stadium after Michael Jordan and the Bulls completed their first three-peat is now live at Grey Flannel Auctions. The massive vinyl banner -- measuring a whopping 9 feet 8 inches by 14 feet 4 inches -- features bold black "CHICAGO BULLS" lettering at the top, the iconic Bulls logo below it, and "NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS 1992-93" sewn underneath. GFA says the banner, which comes with a letter of authenticity, is in "excellent condition" with just "minor toning," giving it an "off-white look." There are some "thread pulls" ... after all, it's over 32 years old.