There are moments in basketball that define eras. Michael Jordan’s audacious leaps over towering defenders, Kobe Bryant’s cold-blooded poise in the waning seconds of an NBA Finals game — these are the images that linger, the memories that shape the sport. In New York, auction house Sotheby’s brought some remembrances of those times to collectors, offering a selection that spans decades.
Though many highlights celebrated the NBA’s golden chapters, the auction that closed Thursday also featured remarkable items from other sports.
“For the first time, Sotheby’s has transformed The Breuer (a Manhattan museum) into a world-class showcase of sport, bringing together nearly $30 million in historic memorabilia from the icons who have defined athletic excellence,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, said in a statement. “To have Kobe’s first championship ball from the 2000 finals, alongside one of his high-school jerseys, is mind-blowing. The exhibition captures the evolution of greatness across generations.”
Michael Jordan, right, prepares to go up with the ball as Los Angeles Lakers guard Michael Cooper looks on during a game at the Forum on Dec. 2, 1984. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)
Jordan’s first steps to greatness
At the top of the bidding was a pair of Jordan’s rookie-season Nike Air Ships from 1984-85, which sold for $698,500. These weren’t just any sneakers; they were the shoes Jordan wore in his 19th professional game against the Los Angeles Lakers, facing Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the reigning titans of the league. Earlier in the season, Jordan had also worn them against the Phoenix Suns. These sneakers, signed and photo-matched, predate the Air Jordan 1 and capture the nascent stages of Jordan’s revolutionary partnership with Nike, an alliance that would forever change basketball footwear and the way players become their own brands.
Bounce of a dynasty
Not far behind in interest was a basketball from the clinching Game 6 of the 2000 finals that sold for $508,000. The Lakers’ win against the Indiana Pacers was the start of Los Angeles’ championship run featuring future Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. It ended an 11-year title drought and launched a dynasty under coach Phil Jackson. The ball was signed by 12 roster members, including Kobe and Shaq.
(Courtesy of Sotheby’s)
Kobe’s legendary 24
Bryant’s jersey from the 2010 Western Conference quarterfinals sold for $279,400. Worn in Games 2 and 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the jersey represents a stage of Bryant’s career when he had moved beyond the flash and flair of his early years, emerging as a player defined by leadership and precision.
In Game 2, Bryant poured in 39 points in a razor-thin victory. In Game 5, he added 13 points alongside crucial rebounds and assists, helping the Lakers secure a 111-87 win. The 2010 season culminated in a hard-fought triumph over the Boston Celtics in the finals, during which Bryant captured his fifth championship and second consecutive NBA Finals MVP.
Kobe Bryant in action versus the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (John W. McDonough / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
From the first three-peat to the Last Dance
A complete set of Chicago Bulls championship rings, representing the six titles won between 1991 and 1998, sold for $406,400. Each ring tells the story of a pivotal season in the team’s storied history. The 1991 ring commemorates Chicago’s first championship, a breakthrough season that saw the Bulls overcome the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals before defeating Magic Johnson’s Lakers in the finals. The 1992 and 1993 rings reflect a team mastering the pressures of repeating as champions, completing the first “three-peat.” In the 1992 finals, the Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers, and the following year they triumphed over Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns in six games.
Following Jordan’s brief retirement, the 1996 ring represents a renewed Bulls squad, bolstered by the addition of Dennis Rodman and a record-setting 72-win season that culminated in a finals victory over the Seattle SuperSonics. The 1997 and 1998 rings capture the dynasty’s final, fiercely contested moments against the Utah Jazz, culminating in Jordan’s legendary “Last Dance” in Game 6 of the 1998 finals.
(Courtesy of Sotheby’s)
Ohtani’s Jackie Robinson Day jersey
The auction extended beyond basketball’s storied history, also featuring a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey worn by Shohei Ohtani on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, 2024. Sporting Robinson’s iconic No. 42, Ohtani took the field in honor of the player whose courage and vision broke barriers. Signed in Kanji, the jersey sold for $330,200, connecting a generational talent to one of baseball’s most enduring legacies.
(Courtesy of Sotheby’s)
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