Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: JOSHUA GATELEY / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
Proof of the excitement generated by the French basketball phenomenon, Victor Wembanyama, the jersey worn by the 19-year-old pivot during his NBA debut on October 25 was sold at auction for the sum of $762,000 while the house Sotheby’s was counting on a value slightly above $100,000.
A month after his big debut in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama continues his apprenticeship in the very tough North American league. The French basketball phenomenon oscillates between remarkable performances and a few breathing gaps and has yet to find its place in the faltering collective of the San Antonio Spurs, penultimate in the Western Conference. But the excitement that surrounded his arrival in the NBA is clearly not about to die down.
His jersey worn during his very first match in the league against the Dallas Mavericks sold for nearly $762,000, far exceeding the estimates of Sotheby’s which was counting on a sum of $110,000. Never before in the history of the NBA had a rookie seen a jersey sold for such a high amount. And this despite the Frenchman’s checkered performance during this meeting, almost silent for three quarters before an awakening in the last 12 minutes which was not enough to avoid the defeat of his team (119-126).
Two hours left to bid in the first official @NBA game-worn auction at Sotheby’s! Don’t miss your chance to bid: https://t.co/UtC8z1ddFUpic.twitter.com/rqc6JTeyWi
— Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) November 21, 2023
“Wemby” does better than LeBron James or Curry
With this pharaonic sum, Victor Wembanyama does even better than LeBron James, Stephen Curry and even Luka Doncic, three other superstars of the league, whose jerseys were also sold at auction. A few weeks ago, one of the tunics worn by the player in Summer League, a friendly competition played in summer and intended to prepare for the coming season, sold for nearly $60,000.
For “Wemby”, however, there is still a way to go before approaching the amount of the Chicago Bulls jersey, worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA final. With a sum of 10 million dollars, it is the most expensive sporting object ever sold in history. However, a batch could soon threaten this record. That of the jerseys worn by Lionel Messi during the last World Cup in Qatar, won by Argentina at the expense of the Blues. Buyers will be able to position themselves from December.