New record in auction of used sports jerseys sold for more than $7M: these are the top 5 most expensive jerseys in history
A Kobe Bryant jersey worn during his Lakers pre and regular-season debut games was sold for $7 million at Sotheby’s in New York City.
A LA Lakers Kobe Bryant jersey worn during his pre-season and regular-season debuts was sold for $7 million at Sotheby’s in New York City on Thursday, the auction house said.
The No.8 jersey was photo-matched to seven games of his 1996-97 rookie season including his October 16 pre-season debut and November 3 regular season debut in 1996, as well as his NBA media day.
Sotheby's sold Kobe Bryant's first game-worn NBA jersey for $7 million at auction. It is the 2nd highest price ever for an NBA game-worn jersey after the $10.1 million paid for Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals one. pic.twitter.com/b6qIwOvsEP
— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) April 24, 2025
With a sale price of $7 million the item is the fourth-most expensive game-worn sports jersey behind Babe Ruth’s “called shot” jersey ($24 million), Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey ($10.1 million), and Diego Maradona’s Argentina shirt from the 1986 World Cup $9.3 million.
“Debut games are truly one-of-a-kind moments in an athlete’s career,” Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles Brahm Wachter said speaking to ESPN.
“They mark the nascency of an extraordinary journey, and for iconic athletes like Kobe Bryant, these milestones hold even more significance as they represent a singular moment in time that can never be replicated.”
The sale was a record for a Bryant collectible, surpassing the previous record of $5.85 million paid for his signed, game-worn 2007-08 MVP season jersey.
Five-time NBA champion Bryant died aged 41 in a January 2020 helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven others.
Top 5 NBA jersey sales of all-time
Sotheby's NBA sales
1) Micheal Jordan's $10.1 million "Last Dance" jersey
2) Kobe Bryant $7 million debut jersey sold Thursday
3) Kobe Bryant $5.8 million MVP season jersey
4) $4.9 million Wilt Chamberlain jersey worn in the 1972 NBA Finals, the Lakers' first title run
5) Micheal Jordan No.17 jersey used in 17 Chicago Bulls games during the 1996-97 NBA season, sold for $4.7 million
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