Sotheby’s is cementing its position in the sports world with a new partnership.
The auction house is embarking on a multiyear partnership with the National Basketball Association to be its official source for game-worn items. The partnership comes after Sotheby’s has hosted many successful auctions with game-worn items from NBA players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and others.
“The NBA is one of the most iconic and beloved sports leagues globally, and its game-worn memorabilia have captured the hearts of fans and collectors worldwide,” said Brahm Wachter, head of modern collectibles at Sotheby’s. “Our journey in the sports memorabilia world aligns with our broader mission of expanding access to and ownership of extraordinary objects with exceptional provenance. We look forward to providing a platform that enables fans and collectors to own a piece of NBA history with unparalleled level of trust and assurance.”
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Sotheby’s is kicking off the partnership with its Tip-off Auction, which offers more than 60 game-worn NBA jerseys from players like Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić, Kyrie Irving and others. The jerseys will also be on display at Sotheby’s New York headquarters starting Tuesday through Nov. 21.
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Through the partnership, Sotheby’s will be hosting digital and physical auctions throughout the current NBA season to sell coveted items such as game-worn jerseys, apparel and other sports memorabilia. The items will be from major events throughout the season, such as the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA Finals.
“Our partnership with Sotheby’s provides NBA fans around the world the opportunity to own special pieces of NBA history from the very moments that celebrate their fandom,” said Matt Holt, head of consumer products at the NBA. “We look forward to leveraging Sotheby’s expertise in art and luxury as we offer collectors and fans a seamless experience to access the best of NBA memorabilia through our marketplace.”
Over the years, Sotheby’s has been increasing its presence in the sports memorabilia category with many auctions across basketball, hockey, soccer and other sports.
Within the NBA, Sotheby’s has auctioned many coveted game-worn jerseys and sneakers. The auction house has sold several items from Jordan, such as his 1992 Summer Olympics “Dream Team” Reebok jacket, his 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s sneakers and others.
Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals sneakers broke auction records when it was sold this April. The sneakers sold for $2.2 million at auction, making them the highest publicly recorded price for a pair of sneakers.