Two game-worn jerseys from two NBA icons hit the auction block this week as part of a new online sales series.
Sotheby’s is hosting From the Archive, which will drop five pieces of memorabilia and collectibles spanning sports, film, music and fashion in dedicated, single-lot sales that open daily from July 20-24. Each auction lasts seven days.
The series is led by the first game-worn jersey bearing LeBron James’ nickname. Worn as part of a special NBA “nickname game” between the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets during the 2013-14 season, the white jersey has his former number 6 on the front and “King James” on the back. It’s expected to sell for $150,000-$200,000.
It was the first time the NBA debuted the Name Collection jerseys, featuring players wearing their best known monikers and initials on the back of their jerseys. James wore his nickname on court in only a handful of other instances. During the game, various players from both teams wore custom nickname jerseys, including Kevin Garnett wearing “Big Ticket”, Ray Allen wearing “J. Shuttlesworth” and Paul Peirce wearing “Truth”. All 15 players on the Heat wore nickname jerseys. James scored 36 points and dished out five assists against the Nets.
On Thursday, Sotheby’s will open the week-long auction for an autographed Michael Jordan jersey worn during his first season with the Washington Wizards. Jordan’s signature is in silver marker across the ‘2’ on the chest. The jersey includes the 911 commemorative ribbon patch on the upper left.
In September 2001, Jordan came back from his second retirement and announced that he would return to NBA to play with the Wizards. During his time in Washington, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history – a record that only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have since broken. On December 29, 2001, Jordan scored 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets to become the oldest player in NBA history to reach the 50-point threshold in a game.
The Jordan jersey is expected to sell for at least $50,000-$70,000.
Other items launching during the week include a pair of ‘sample’ prototype Nike Air Yeezys, a pair of Nike MAG Back to the Future sneakers signed by Michael J. Fox and a pair of Nike “Jedi” dunks signed by Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series.
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