Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is one of the biggest names in the NBA, and many call him the Greatest of All Time in comparison to six-time champion Michael Jordan. Now his fans can boast about his rookie card selling for more money than Jordan’s. This piece of memorabilia went to auction recently and officially became the most expensive rookie card in history.
According to TMZ, bidding for the card ended over the weekend at Goldin Auctions. The winner shelled out $1.8 million for the rookie card, surpassing Mike Trout’s card by more than $900,000. This was not a standard rookie card, however, considering that it featured some special touches. It was one of only 23 produced and included a piece of James’ Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. James also autographed the item.
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In addition to featuring unique touches, the rookie card was in near perfect condition. It had a grading of 9.5 and prompted a massive number of bids. The auction started at $150,000 and reached $1.8 million in a matter of weeks and sports fans and collectors fought for a limited item.
James is currently one of the league’s biggest names after a journey that started during the 2003 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers selected him on June 26, 2003, and made him only the second player in league history to go first overall straight out of high school. James went on and became the youngest Rookie of the Year in league history while averaging more than 20 points per game.
As his career continued, James split his fanbase by “taking his talents to South Beach” and joining the Miami Heat. He won two consecutive titles in South Beach but ultimately returned to the Cavaliers in 2014. James delivered a championship to his home state before departing once again, this time for the Los Angeles Lakers. Now he is on a quest to win a fourth ring while honoring the memory of Kobe Bryant, who died on Jan. 26.
While debates continue to rage about whether he or Jordan is truly the GOAT, James has continued to build up an impressive resume. He’s a three-time NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012). He has also been named league MVP four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), as well as NBA Finals MVP three times (2012, 2013, 2016). James is also a 16-time All-Star and 15-time All-NBA.
