Despite San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama only having played in 14 NBA games, one fan was still willing to pay over $750,000 for his used jersey.
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According to Darren Rovell of the Action Network, a game-worn Wembanyama jersey sold at Sotheby's auction block on Tuesday for an insane $762,000 fee. The auction was for a classic white Spurs home jersey, worn by the prized rookie during his NBA debut on an October 25th home game against the Dallas Mavericks — a game in which Wembanyama had 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists across 23 minutes.
JUST IN: A jersey Victor Wembanyama wore in his NBA debut just sold at @Sothebys for $762,000. pic.twitter.com/u8p5EGIPc1
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 21, 2023
The insane $762,000 price tag that the French sensation's debut jersey sold for is the highest amount ever paid for a rookie jersey, regardless of sport. What's even crazier is that game-worn jerseys for established NBA stars (including LeBron James, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Kevin Durant) were also auctioned off during the Sotheby's auction block event. None of them sold for more than $51,000.
A press release from Sotheby's noted that the Wembanyama jersey received 62 bids across a 13 minute auction period, and the initial $80,000-$120,000 estimate that the jersey was expected to sell for ultimately went for over six times that amount.
Clearly the anonymous jersey buyer is bullish on Wembanyama's NBA future — and for good reason. The first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is considered a once-in-a-generation type talent, and is thought to be the best draft prospect since LeBron James declared for the 2003 NBA Draft 20 years ago.
So far this season, Wembanyama is averaging 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, and has multiple unicorn moments in nearly every game which reminds fans that the 19 year old Wembanyama is merely scratching the surface of his true potential.
There's an additional reason why Wemby's NBA debut jersey sold for such a high price: his stat line in that first NBA game is freakishly similar to Spurs legend Tim Duncan's stats in his debut game, as both Spurs first overall draft picks scored 15 points and tallied two assists in their first official NBA regular season contest.
Considering that Duncan is one of the best Forwards in NBA history, won five NBA Championships, and secured three Finals MVP Awards with the Spurs across his Hall of Fame career, Spurs fans are hopeful that Wemby's career can compare to Duncan's when it's all said and done.
We certainly know of one fan who expects his investment in Wembanyama to pay dividends.
