Victor Wembanyama debut jersey hits $762K at Sotheby's auction / News - Basketnews.com

Victor Wembanyama now owns the most expensive debut jersey ever auctioned and one of the highest-priced in the modern era.

Credit: AFP-Scanpix Credit AFP-Scanpix

The basketball jersey star rookie Victor Wembanyama wore in his first game for the San Antonio Spurs last month went up on the auction block Tuesday at Sotheby’s with an estimated price starting at $80,000.

Victor Wembanyama

MIN:29.88PTS:18.57 (49.3%)REB:9.07As:2.5ST:0.93BL:2.57TO:3.57GM:14ProfileNBA2023/2024

Eventually, the sale fetched an astounding $762,000 at an auction, leaving onlookers astonished as bidding closed at a figure nearly seven times the upper estimate.

According to Abby Schultz, the prize jersey Wembanyama wore during the season opening game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Oct. 25, was the top lot in an online auction filled with game-worn NBA jerseys that marks the beginning of a multi-year partnership between the NBA and Sotheby’s.

The partnership will include several online auctions tied to special events, such as the one linked to the Kia NBA Tip-Off series of games that started the season last month, in addition to some regular season games. There will also be two live sales held this year with memorabilia from the NBA All-Star game and the finals.

Sotheby's orchestrated the historic sale, making this jersey the most expensive debut jersey ever auctioned and one of the highest-priced in the modern era. For comparison, the debut jersey worn by Zion Williamson was sold for a comparatively modest $80,400 in 2020.

Items in this first sale don’t stretch to similar seven-figure price tags, but they include more than 60 jerseys worn by many star NBA players in the first games of the season in addition to games from prior years.

Wembanyama has averaged 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting42.4% from the field and 26.9% from deep, as theSpurs find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 3-11 record.

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