‘Holy Grail’ LeBron James card expected to top $6 million at auction
NEW YORK – Auctioneers are expecting the one-of-a-kind LeBron James trading card to fetch more than $6 million when it goes on sale this week.
The “Triple Logoman” tag, an 18-time NBA All-Star single-issue, includes patches from the jerseys James wore against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
Released by Panini as part of the “Flawless” 2020-21 collection, the card started a frenzied hunt among collectors including Canadian rapper Drake, who purchased 10 expensive basketball cards money but can’t find it.
“The best analogy I can use for a modern reader is to imagine Willy Wonka (and) the Chocolate Factory, searching for that golden ticket,” said Ken Goldin, the auction house’s executive chairman. Goldin, told Reuters.
“And then imagine only one golden ticket instead of five.”
Welcome to @GoldinCo @PaniniAmerica 2020 LeBron James The Perfect Logoman Trilogy pic.twitter.com/Dfro3huVt4
– Ken Goldin (@KenGoldin) June 6, 2022
The tag was discovered after a year-long hunt among collectors during a social media live event.
Goldin calls it the “holy grail” of sports collectors and believes it could challenge the record for most expensive sports trading card, topping $6.6 million paid for the Honus Wagner T baseball card -206 in August.
James, the four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP, has earned a coveted place in the hearts of collectors.
An “extremely rare” signed rookie card for the four-time NBA champion broke the record for the most expensive basketball card ever sold last year, worth $5.2 million.
This is the second-highest amount paid for any sports trading card, equivalent to what was paid for the 1952 rookie card for baseball giant Mickey Mantle.
The auction for the “Triple Logoman” card will open on Wednesday and end on June 25.
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