Sotheby’s will embark on the next phase of its NBA partnership Wednesday, offering 75 game-worn jerseys for sale in a fixed-price marketplace.
The sale is the first in a series of planned biweekly "drops," with 75 jerseys offered for sale twice each month. May will feature a three drops, followed by a bi-weekly cadence for the foreseeable future.
Since the announcement of a partnership with the NBA to make it the official source of game-worn jerseys, Sotheby’s has held a series of NBA-oriented auctions, headlined by a $762,000 sale of Victor Wembanyama’s rookie debut game jersey in November 2023.
Sotheby’s also has held auctions featuring jerseys from the NBA In-Season Tournament as well as the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
This announcement of a fixed-price model for game-worn memorabilia is meant to provide collectors “24/7, 365-day access to an exceptional property mix of NBA game-worn collectibles,” according to a Sotheby’s spokesperson. The auction house hopes this initiative will allow for an easier entry-point for newer collectors who might have been hesitant to participate in major auctions in the past.
Sotheby's began experimenting with fixed price marketplace offerings as early as September 2020, beginning with jewelry and watches.
With the first drop, Sotheby’s has curated a selection of 75 jerseys from today’s “Sharp Shooters,” including jerseys from Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Luka Dončić and Devin Booker.
Prices will cover a broad spectrum of price ranges, from $7,000 for Booker's 2023-24 Statement Edition Jersey (worn in a Dec. 27, 2023, contest in which Booker scored 20 points) to $20,000 for an Anthony Edwards 2022-23 Icon Edition Jersey (worn in an Oct. 26, 2022, game when Edwards dropped 34 points with nine assists).
The jerseys will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. The first drop goes live Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.