National Basketball Association

LeBron Card Nets $1.8 Million

Published Jul. 21, 2020 4:16 p.m. ET

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Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has added "auction record breaker" to his long list of accomplishments.

The card was an Upper Deck Rookie Patch Parallel card, featuring James from his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The card was also signed by the King.

The nearly $2 million price point is the most ever for any basketball card and set the record for any modern trading card, meaning the last 40 years, dating all the way back to 1980.

According to Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, the price tag for the card is extraordinary considering James is still active.

"If we were talking about a T206 [Honus] Wagner, or a 1952 [Mickey] Mantle, it probably wouldn't be that much news ... But when you're talking about a card that was literally produced 17 years ago and is for a guy still playing in the NBA, it's just shocking news to a lot of people. It's really where my particular industry has been going for several years."

There are only 23 of these specific cards in existence, and James apparently has a few of them in his possession.

The previous record price point for a card was $922,000, and it belonged to Bowman Draft Chrome Red Refractor Mike Trout signed rookie card. It was one of five ever produced. 

Both the James and Trout card were sold at the same auction house.

Seeing James rookie card go for such a large number might have been what prompted a new item of his to go on sale this morning.

We'll see what Sotheby's can haul in on the back of James. 

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LeBron James

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