A Giannis Antetokounmpo rookie card has sold for $1.85 million at Goldin Auctions, setting a new record as the world’s most valuable basketball card.
The one-of-a-kind National Treasures card was produced in 2013, and featured Antetokounmpo’s autograph along with the NBA patch from one of his game-worn Milwaukee Bucks jerseys.
Graded MINT 9 by BGS, the card sold on September 22 for $1,857,300 – exceeding the $1.85 million record set just last month by a LeBron James rookie card which sold at the same auction house.
Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo made his debut for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013-14 season, and has since become one of the biggest stars of the sport.
He won consecutive NBA MVP titles in 2019 and 2020, along with the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and is a four-time NBA All-Star.
Despite his success on the court, the record-breaking sale of his rookie card was a surprise to many experts.
Antetokounmpo is regarded as a future hall-of-fame player, but he is yet to attain the iconic status of the likes of Michael Jordan or LeBron James, for whom such high memorabilia prices are usually reserved.
“The fact that we were able to achieve a new basketball card sale record for a player named something besides LeBron or Jordan shows the depth of the hobby and proves just how strong this economy and our auction are right now,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions.
