LeBron James just keeps breaking records.
LeBron James’ high school jersey just sold for $1.3M at an auction in Hong Kong. That’s the highest price ever for a high school basketball jersey at auction. From LeBron’s days at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, OH, this jersey is legendary for a particular reason; it’s the same one he wore for his iconic Sports Illustrated cover shoot where editors dubbed him “The Chosen One.”
After the shoot, LeBron didn’t just hang up the jersey. He played in it and wore it during a game against a rival team. Fast forward a few years later, actually decades later, and this piece of Bron history sold for an audacious amount at Julien’s Auctions. They called it the highlight of their event, setting a new world record for a high school basketball jersey.
The auction wasn’t just about the jersey, though. A limited-edition print of the Sports Illustrated cover, signed by the photographer Michael Le Brecht II, also sold for $16,250, way above its pre-sale estimate. Only five of these prints exist, so it’s a collector’s item. This was the first time Julien’s hosted an auction in Hong Kong, and they made a splash.
LeBron’s legacy keeps growing by the day, which might explain why his high school jersey is breaking records. We’re talking about a guy who’s one of the greatest to ever do it, if not the greatest. He was a high school phenom who met every expectation and exceeded them. LeBron has dominated for over two decades, racking up four NBA titles, three Olympic gold medals, and he is the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. Just this past summer in Paris 2024, Bron added another MVP to his collection, the 2024 Olympic MVP, proving he’s still got it at almost 40. And don’t forget, LeBron’s been to 10 NBA Finals in an 11-season stretch, repping three different squads and winning at least one title with each. His career speaks for itself.
This auction also showed that people are willing to drop some serious change for jerseys tied to legends like LeBron. The jersey was first sold in 2019 for $187,500, then again in 2021 for $512,200. But now, with the hype around sports collectibles, especially in East Asia, it’s no surprise this piece went for over a million this time. People know the value of having something connected to the King.
And if anyone thinks this sale was big, think about other massive jersey sales in recent years. Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey went for over $10 million in 2022, while Kobe Bryant’s 2007-08 Lakers jersey pulled in $5.8 million earlier this year. Clearly, the market for sports memorabilia is only getting bigger.
LeBron’s jersey was sold with two photo-matching reports that confirmed it’s the exact jersey from the Sports Illustrated shoot. Photo-matching is very important because it authenticates the piece of memorabilia. Last month, a Babe Ruth jersey sold for $24.1M, breaking records for the most valuable sports memorabilia ever.
Between the growing money in East Asia and the rising demand for sports collectibles, this LeBron jersey sale is just the beginning. Collectors are hungry for history and willing to pay top dollar for it.
