Sotheby’s has announced a one-week series of sports auctions to be held next month that will include items from modern era stars and big moments.
“Sports Week” comprises a total of six live and online auctions in New York. Items from the careers of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady and Steph Curry are just some of what will be offered.
The auctions include:
- Los Angeles Lakers | Capsule Collection (March 27-April 10)
- The Thrilla in Manila (March 27-April 10)
- ZENITH | Important Sports Artifacts (March 27-April 10)
- Court Classics | Important Basketball Sneakers (March 29-April 12)
- NBA Auctions: 2024 All-Star Game | Online (March 28-April 15)
- NBA Auctions: 2024 All-Star Game | Live (April 11 7PM ET)
“The market for unique sports artifacts has been enjoying unprecedented growth as collectors continue to chase the best-of-the best objects,” says Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectibles, Brahm Wachter.
The Court Classics sale will include Michael Jordan’s game-worn, autographed 1996 NBA Finals shoes from Game 5. The pair is being offered by two former Seattle Supersonics ball boys, who were each personally gifted one shoe from Jordan, and have decided to reunite them as a pair for the auction. 
The shoes carry a $200,000-$400,000 estimate.
Muhammad Ali’s match-worn boxing trunks from his legendary 1975 ‘Thrilla in Manila’ bout with Joe Frazier will be presented in a single-lot auction, with a Sotheby’s estimate of $4-$6 million. In 2012, they sold via Robert Edward Auctions for $118,500.
The Los Angeles Lakers “Capsule Collection” auction is headlined by Kobe Bryant’s Game Worn Jersey from Game 1 of the 2009 Finals (est. $1.5 – 2.5 million), the greatest Finals performance of his career, with 40 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Also in that event will be a Lebron James jersey from his 38,000th point game in January of 2023 when he became only the second player in the history of the NBA to surpass the 38,000 career points mark. It carries a $300,000-$500,000 pre-sale estimate.
Proceeds from some items in the Lakers auction will go to the Lakers Youth Foundation.
Leading the “Zenith” sale is Jordan’s game worn and signed ‘Shattered Backboard’ jersey from 1985 (est. $500/700,000), Ernie Banks’ 500th home run jersey and a Wayne Gretzky jersey from his tenure with the St. Louis Blues in 1995-96.
The NBA Auctions sales will include the jersey worn by LeBron James in the first half of the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, Victor Wembanyama’s Rising Stars Challenge jersey and the jerseys worn by Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu in their three-point shootout the night before the All-Star Game.
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