According to Sotheby’s, Victor Wembanyama’s NBA debut jersey sold for $762,000 on Tuesday.
Pre-auction estimates ranged from $80,000 to $120,000. This is one of the highest auction prices ever for a debut rookie jersey in the NBA.
In May 2021, a Kobe Bryant jersey worn by Zion Williamson in the first half of his NBA debut fetched $3.69 million, the all-time record for a rookie uniform.
Per Sotheby’s, recently named the official game-worn source of the NBA, the auction boasted 176 bidders across 14 countries with an average of 24 bids per lot. Wembanyama’s debut jersey lot drew 62 bids alone. It was one of the “highest levels of participation for a sports memorabilia auction at Sotheby’s.”
The previous auction record for Wembanyama memorabilia was $62,000, paid for a jersey the San Antonio Spurs rookie wore during his summer league debut.
In all, Tuesday’s 64-lot auction brought in $1.249 million. Other notable rookie debut jerseys included No. 3 overall pick Brandon Miller’s ($27,940) and No. 2 overall pick Scoot Henderson’s ($19,050).
