It has been three and a half years since Steph Curry rose in the NBA Finals to lead the Golden State Warriors — and himself — to a fourth championship in the dynasty. Three and a half years is more than enough time for the value of the jersey he wore in the decisive Game 6 to skyrocket — and last week it did just that, selling for a record sum for a scorer’s uniform: $2.45 million.
According to ESPN, this was the second time in less than a year that Curry’s personal record had been broken. Earlier this summer, the jersey he wore in his second NBA game, the one in which he hit his first NBA three‑pointer, fetched $1.75 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
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Steph Curry in the jersey that sold for $2.45 million
(Photo: Kyle Terada USA Today Sports)
The latest sale underscores that 2026 is shaping up to be yet another chapter in the NBA memorabilia market’s explosive growth. While the U.S. sports memorabilia market as a whole continues to build momentum, the appeal of names like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Curry draws particular excitement from the world’s wealthiest collectors. These items have become a new status symbol, representing a more personal connection for buyers than, say, a piece of pottery or a Rembrandt painting.
The time factor
The buyer of the championship jersey remains anonymous. But Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary was proud to tell the world last August that he was behind the purchase of the most expensive sports card ever sold — a rare collector’s edition from the 2007/08 season featuring the NBA logo alongside a golden logo, signed by both Jordan and Bryant. O’Leary, a millionaire camera enthusiast known as “Mr. Wonderful” and a star of Shark Tank, paid $12.9 million for the card, surpassing the $12.6 million paid for a unique card of baseball legend Mickey Mantle. The previous NBA record for a sports card — held by a Curry card — was $7 million lower.
The Canadian millionaire said he partnered with two other investors to avoid bidding competition, and offered an interesting point: more than a cultural asset, these collectibles are also financial assets. “It’s part of a collection I’m developing with my partners, and we treat it just like Bitcoin or gold bars. The value of the cards continues to rise, and it seems like a market that is not affected by recession,” he said.
Last year also saw a $7 million sale of the jersey Kobe Bryant wore in his rookie debut with the Los Angeles Lakers — a piece that perfectly illustrates the wild inflation in value and significance of rare items. When that same jersey first went to auction 14 years ago, it sold for just $115,000. The more timeless the superstar, the more unique the event the item is tied to, and the fewer examples that exist, the deeper collectors are willing to dig into their pockets.
The time factor works both ways: older, classic items that have stood the test of years tend to appreciate even more (assuming they are well preserved under optimal conditions). This leads collectors to think ahead. Cooper Flagg, just 19 years old, demonstrated in his first half‑season with Dallas that the hype surrounding him is justified, and there’s a chance he will make NBA history. His most expensive card on the market this year sold for about $180,000 — roughly akin to inheriting a prized parcel of land in historic Tel Aviv through sheer patience — meaning with time, such an asset could one day be astronomically valuable. Similarly, Victor Wembanyama and Caitlin Clark generate comparable enthusiasm, and collectors are already tracking related memorabilia.
Michael beats LeBron
One interesting exception among active players: LeBron James continues to delay retirement, prolonging his career and perhaps slightly tempering his legacy, and U.S. analysts believe this is a key reason his career cards have lost value in recent years. But once he becomes a retired player, that trend is expected to reverse. Michael Jordan remains an outlier on the opposite end — anything related to him stays hot. Of the top 10 most expensive online card purchases in 2025, four were his, and the most expensive was a 1986/87 rookie card sold for $260,000.
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The jersey worn by rookie Kobe Bryant in his league debut with the Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo: Anthony Behar SI USA via Reute)
The market is red hot, and so is the growth of companies that specialize in authenticating and certifying the legitimacy of vintage memorabilia by cross‑referencing details and conducting deep research. If you’re going to invest, buyers want to know the item is genuine — much like with works of art.
At the end of the day, these pieces are not just excellent long‑term investments, or something to show off to friends, or socially significant assets — beyond any market cynicism, a rare card or historic jersey brings out the joyful fan inside every buyer.