Sotheby’s is moving further into the world of sports with its first-ever Sports Week, where the auction house has auctioned off Michael Jordan’s game-worn Air Jordan 11, Kobe Bryant’s jersey, Muhammad Ali’s combat trunks, and more. is scheduled to be put up for auction.
The company announced Wednesday that a series of auctions featuring notable sports memorabilia will begin on March 28 and run for approximately two weeks until April 12.
Jordan’s Air Jordan 11, worn in Game 5 of the 1996 NBA Finals, will be a featured item at Sportsweek and is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $400,000. CNBC.
According to a report from CNBC, Jordan wore the sneakers as he returned from a brief retirement to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 72-10 regular season record and win their fourth NBA title.
Additionally, Sotheby’s expects the Los Angeles Lakers jersey worn by Bryant in Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals to sell for between $1.5 million and $2.5 million.
Bryant, who tragically died along with his daughter Gianna in a 2020 helicopter crash, scored 40 points in that game, his highest-scoring performance in the NBA Finals.
According to CNBC, Sotheby’s will also sell 50 pairs of sneakers worn by NBA greats, including LeBron James, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Memorabilia from recent games is also on sale, including James’ 2024 All-Star jersey, which is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.
The jersey worn by Stephen Curry in the three-point race against Sabrina Ionescu will be auctioned off at Sportsweek and is expected to sell for between $30,000 and $500,000.
Ionescu’s uniform used in this match will also be on sale. CNBC reports that auctioneers are expecting a price of between $8,000 and $12,000.
The entire sports collection is expected to sell for more than $12 million, with individual items ranging from $500 to about $6 million each, according to CNBC.
The highest-grossing item was the legendary 1975 match “Thrilla in Manila”, widely considered one of the greatest boxing matches of all time, after Ali defeated Joe Frazier in Quezon City. It is expected that these will be Ali’s shorts in ”.
If the trunk sells for $6 million, the high end of its expected price, it would be one of the most valuable pieces of Ali memorabilia to come to auction.
The highest price ever paid for Ali memorabilia is currently $1.1 million, according to buyers and sellers of high-end collectibles. I’m just collecting.
In 2014, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Lorenzo Fertitta paid for the gloves Ali wore during his November 1965 fight with Floyd Patterson.
According to CNBC, Sotheby’s Sports Week follows the popular documentary “The Last Dance,” which was released during COVID-19 and chronicled Jordan and the Bulls’ quest for a sixth NBA title. The event comes amid a surge in demand for souvenirs.
Interest in sports-related collectibles has brought a new, younger demographic into the auction market.
“We’re seeing tremendous growth and interest in this category,” said Brahm Wachter, head of streetwear and modern collectibles at Sotheby’s.
“Sports Week is another example of Sotheby’s commitment to engaging the collecting community with creative sales formats, appealing to both experienced sports fans and collectors and those looking to start a collection. Attractive quotations have been offered that respond in kind.”
Sotheby’s told CNBC that its average sports memorabilia customer is between 20 and 40 years old, and 50% of them are new to auctioneering.
Wachter said some of the sales will lead to increased purchases in the contemporary goods and watches categories.
Sotheby’s has already had success in its sports department. Last month, an auction house sold a collection of sneakers worn by superstar Jordan when he won six NBA championships with the Bulls for a whopping $8 million.
The total value of the sneakers, dubbed the Dynasty Collection, set a new record for game-worn sneakers, Sotheby’s announced at the time.
