Rare LeBron trading card brings $1.84 million at auction

[July 20, 2020]    (Reuters) - A rare trading card of NBA great LeBron James' 2003-04 rookie campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers fetched $1.84 million at auction over the weekend, the league has said.

Team LeBron forward LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates in the fourth quarter of the 2020 NBA All Star Game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Bidding for the Upper Deck card, signed by the 35-year-old who now plays for Los Angeles Lakers, began at $150,000 before it became the most expensive basketball card purchased in the modern era - those produced in 1980 or later.

"Only 23 versions of the Patch Autograph Parallel collection for James were ever produced. The rare card received a 9.5 mint gem grading from Beckett grading service," the NBA said https://www.nba.com/article/2020/07/19/lebron-james-rookie-card-sold-18m-auction.

"Numbered 14 of 23, the card attracted 34 bids over the course of the 26-day auction."

Darren Rovell of sports media company Action Network said the winning bidder was Leore Avidar, the CEO and co-founder of a San Francisco-based company.

James is a three-times NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016) and twice Olympic gold medallist (2008, 2012). He has won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award four times.

In May, Michael Jordan's autographed game-worn sneakers from his rookie season fetched $560,000 in an online auction.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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