How much money are you willing to spend on your hobby of sports cards? Is it $12 million?
A one-of-a-kind, 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant Logoman card — one featuring NBA uniform logos and is signed by both legends — sold for $12.9 million at Heritage Auctions to become the most expensive sports card sold at public auction.
It surpassed the $12.6 million paid for a 1952 Mickey Mantle card sold in 2022. The Kobe/Jordan card shattered the previous record for the highest price paid for a basketball card, $5.2 million for a 2003-04 Exquisite Collection LeBron James Gold Rookie Patch Autograph card. This card is now the second-highest price paid at auction for any sports collectible, trailing only the $24.2 million forked over a year ago for Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series “called shot” jersey.
Heritage’s director of sports auctions, Chris Ivy, called it “the finest modern basketball card in the world.” When the auction opened, Heritage estimated that the card would sell for $6 million, still an NBA record, but the competitive bidding drove up the price — the auction had 82 bids.
The auction was timed to end on Mamba Day, 8/24.