The jersey worn by star rookie Cooper Flagg when he made his NBA debut has been sold by Sotheby’s auction house for $1M.
Flagg wore the jersey for the first half of his debut game, going on to record 10 points and 10 rebounds in his team’s eventual 125-92 loss to San Antonio.
“The $1 million result for Cooper Flagg’s rookie debut jersey is a powerful testament to the significance collectors place on true ‘first moments’ in sport,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, said in a statement. “This jersey captures the very beginning of a special career, one carrying huge expectations and excitement.”
The deal sets a new record for the NBA Auctions program, eclipsing the previous record for the program which was held by Victor Wembanyama’s NBA debut jersey back in November of 2023. Wemby’s jersey, which he wore in the 2nd half of his debut, fetched $762K.
It also marks the highest public sale of any Flagg related collectibles to date. Sotheby’s new partnership with the NBA will see the famed auction house sell a number of other prominent rookie jerseys over the coming weeks.
Amongst the list of game worn memorabilia coming down the pipeline will be first game jerseys from V.J. Edgecombe, Con Knueppel, Derik Queen and Dylan Harper. Those pieces are expected to be available during the “NBA Rookie Debut Auction” which will run from March 17-23rd.
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