Goldin Auctions will offer the gold standard of LeBron James rookie cards in its upcoming auction.
Numbered 14 of 23, the 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection autographed rookie patch parallel is one of only two that have been graded Gem Mint 9.5 by Beckett Grading Services.
Earlier this year, Goldin Auctions brokered the $900,000 private sale of another James card from ’03-04 Exquisite but the new offering may surpass that.
“The basketball card market is on fire and it is worldwide buyers,” said Ken Goldin, whose company sells both modern and vintage cards and memorabilia. “We expect this will surpass the record recently sent by the $922,500 Mike Trout card to become the most valuable basketball and most valuable modern card of all time.”
High-end modern cards across all major sports have been selling for big prices, despite a sports shutdown that’s now lasted three months.
James was only the second high school player in history to be selected as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. He next became the youngest Rookie of the Year in NBA history – while averaging 20-plus points per game during the 2003/04 campaign.
The card includes a blue ink signature and a tri-color James-worn jersey patch relic from his rookie season. The card’s subgrades include: Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 9.5.
The auction will open for bidding online at Goldinauctions.com on June 22 and end on July 18.
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