A Victor Wembanyama rookie card that was beforehand the topic of some controversy bought in a personal deal for $5.11 million, making it the costliest identified sale of a non-autographed NBA card.
The sale of the San Antonio Spurs heart’s 2023-24 Panini Prizm one-of-one Black parallel rookie card, which has a Gem-Mint PSA 10 grade, was brokered by Fanatics Acquire. It’s the fourth highest publicly identified sale of an NBA card, based on on-line card gross sales database Card Ladder.
The customer, who spoke to The Athletic on the situation of anonymity on account of private safety considerations stemming from the excessive worth of the cardboard, stated he paid as a lot as he did as a result of he believes that is and can stay Wembanyama’s greatest card. This sale is greater than 5 instances increased than the earlier report for a Wembanyama card, the $860,100 paid for his 2023-24 Panini Prizm Nebula Selection one-of-one card with a PSA 9 grade in a February 2025 public sale by Goldin. That sale got here shortly after Wembanyama sustained a blood clot in his proper shoulder that lower his second NBA season quick.
The Victor Wembanyama rookie card that just lately bought for $5.11 million. (Courtesy of PSA)
Wembanyama has no formally licensed autographed rookie playing cards as a result of he’s underneath unique contract with Fanatics and rival cardmaker Panini held the unique NBA buying and selling card license throughout his rookie season.
“There’s a type of apparent ceiling for him, simply as an athlete, that I feel is increased than most individuals which can be just like the ordained superstars, like the following man that we anticipate them being pantheon folks,” the client of the $5.11 million Wembanyama card stated. “Like Cooper Flagg, for instance. Or (somebody who) didn’t pan out from a number of years in the past like when Zion Williamson got here in and there was a variety of speak about him. In the event you take all these gamers and also you say, ‘What’s their ceiling?’ I feel Victor Wembanyama’s (ceiling) is considerably increased.”
The customer stated that the booming Shohei Ohtani card market additionally performed a task in being assertive in pursuing and buying this Wembanyama card.
“I went after what I feel most individuals would say is Shohei’s greatest card and the value simply stored going up,” the client stated. “I simply went in gentle firstly considering it was sufficient. So I discovered my lesson. I might argue that I don’t suppose I overpaid for this, however I simply knew I needed to be aggressive earlier than all people else figured it out who has the cardboard, the place it’s, tips on how to contact them.”
That is the third identified sports activities card sale over $5 million this 12 months alone.
An Aaron Choose 2013 Bowman Chrome Superfractor autographed one-of-one card with a Beckett 9.5 card/10 autograph grade bought for $5.2 million in March in a personal sale additionally brokered by Fanatics Acquire. And in February, a Honus Wagner 1909 T206 Candy Caporal card with a PSA 1 grade went for $5.12 million in an public sale through Goldin.
The now $5.11 million Wembanyama card was beforehand the topic of some controversy inside the sports activities card world. Pulled by card store NorCal Sports activities Playing cards throughout a stay break, the proprietor of the cardboard on the time had the store submit it to PSA for grading. Instantly after the cardboard secured its PSA 10 grade, NorCal Sports activities Playing cards proprietor Thomas Lindenthal gave a shout-out to an organization that makes merchandise that clear and restore buying and selling playing cards in a video filmed inside PSA’s California workplace. “Your product is phenomenal,” he stated, main some viewers to imagine he was implying that the corporate’s merchandise had been used on the Wembanyama card to assist it safe its Gem-Mint grade.
PSA doesn’t grade playing cards it finds to be altered, a follow that’s extensively frowned upon within the buying and selling card group.
The brand new proprietor of the cardboard stated he hadn’t heard about this earlier than making the acquisition, but it surely wouldn’t have affected his choice had he identified.
There’s been an uptick in million-dollar sports activities card gross sales just lately as rich traders, like Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame, take a newfound curiosity within the area. The customer of the $5.11 million Wembanyama card says he sees sports activities playing cards as a horny different to investing in main sports activities franchises.
“The associated fee to purchase a franchise of any variety actually, like MLS to NFL, it’s so price prohibitive,” he stated.
“So what this (high-end sports activities card market) has turn into, in my view, is the following neatest thing to that. And it is likely to be higher. Proudly owning knowledgeable sports activities staff comes with an infinite quantity of s—. You need to tie up an unimaginable quantity of capital after the asset buy for payroll and every little thing else. There’s social duty. Clearly, you’re enjoying within the greatest league and it’s an ideal asset to personal and all that stuff. However when you don’t personal nearly all of the staff — I used to be wanting into staff possession for a decrease state and a basketball staff. I used to be informed, ‘Look man, when you’re not gonna be the governor, the primary man, the primary proprietor, simply purchase season tickets on the wooden as a result of they’ll deal with you higher.
“You don’t have any voting rights. Even socially, when you wished to … brag about that you just personal 10 p.c of, say, the Lakers. Folks will probably be like, ‘You don’t personal the Lakers.’ I tied up hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of money for this and that’s it?
“So what’s card possession, then? In the event you’re going after these grail playing cards, just like the true, true, ‘f— you’ playing cards. Like I’ve the Shohei (Ohtani)/Aaron Choose twin Logoman auto that bought. I paid $2.16 million for that. … I’ve folks I reply to financially after I make investments or selections. They’re like, ‘You may purchase a f—ing home.’ … I say the distinction is the one or two p.c of billionaires on this planet don’t actually, actually, really need my home. However they f—ing need that card, although. Any person who made silly, silly, silly cash that only for no matter motive loves Wembanyama, they’re not gonna pay 3X for a bit of actual property.”
High identified sports activities card gross sales of all time
1. $12.9 million: Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Higher Deck Beautiful twin NBA Logoman patch autograph one-of-one, PSA 6 card/10 auto grade (Aug. 23, 2025, Heritage public sale)
2. $12.6 million: Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps, SGC 9.5 grade (Aug. 28, 2022, Heritage public sale)
3. $10 million: Michael Jordan/LeBron James 2006-07 Higher Deck Beautiful twin NBA Logoman patch autograph one-of-one, ungraded (Sept. 26, 2025, non-public sale)
4. $7.25 million: Honus Wagner 1909 Candy Caporal T-206, SGC 2 grade (Aug. 4, 2022, non-public sale)
5. $7.2 million: Babe Ruth 1914 Baltimore Information, SGC 3 grade (Dec. 3, 2023, REA public sale)
6. $6.6 million: Honus Wagner 1909 Candy Caporal T-206, SGC 3 grade (Aug. 15, 2021, REA public sale)
T7. $5.2 million: Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps, PSA 9 (Jan. 14, 2021, non-public sale)T7. $5.2 million: LeBron James 2003-04 Higher Deck Beautiful rookie patch autograph numbered to 23, Beckett 9 card/10 auto grade (April 26, 2021, non-public sale)T7. $5.2 million: Aaron Choose 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Choose Superfractor autograph one-of-one, Beckett 9.5 card/10 auto grade (March 12, 2026, non-public sale through Fanatics Acquire)
10. $5.12 million: Honus Wagner 1909 Candy Caporal T-206, PSA 1 grade (Feb. 21, 2026, Goldin public sale)
11. $5.11 million: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Prizm Black parallel one-of-one, PSA 10 grade (Might 2026, non-public sale through Fanatics Acquire)
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