The Moment, part of a limited series commemorating King James’ honoring of the late Lakers icon in 2020, sold for nearly $400,000.
They say all records are made to be broken, and LeBron James has made a career of rewriting the history books — both on and off the court. It’s fitting, then, that collectibles related to his all-time historic career has continued to trailblazing a path to the top of the booming NBA Top Shot market.
In February, a Top Shot Moment of a 2019 LBJ dunk smashed the marketplace’s sale price record when it went for $208,000. But this week, a new bar has been set, and it should be no surprise that the highlight in question once again features King James.
In the highly-coveted Moment from the 2019-20season, James pays tribute to Kobe Bryant just one month after his passing, recreating an epic reverse windmill dunk pioneered by the Black Mamba. On Wednesday, it sold through Heritage Auctions to an unidentified buyer for $387,600.
The record-setting moment from NBA Top Shot’s Series 1 “From The Top” collection, is designated as No. 3 in a set of only 59 mints, making it extremely rare — and extremely valuable.
In recent months, many collectors have used Top Shot as an investment opportunity, as many of the NFT highlights it offers have rapidly appreciated along with the platform’s popularity. Earlier this year, No. 1 in this series of 59 sold for $71,455.
The record-setting sale took place only weeks after Top Shot creator Dapper Labs announced that it had completed a recent found of fundraising thanks to a star-studded portfolio of investors including Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Will Smith. The funding effort catapulted the company’s valuation to an estimated $2.6 billion, priming the company to expand to accommodate its recent meteoric rise in popularity.
While it is still difficult to imagine just how high the market value of Top Shot Moments can soar in the big picture, we know one thing loud and clear: When LeBron James is involved — particularly with an assist from the great Kobe Bryant — there’s no ceiling.
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