Assessing the value of a truly unique artifact: Steph Curry’s record-breaking 2974 Curry 9s
It was Dec. 14 and Madison Square Garden was electric. The Knicks were playing the Warriors, but the energy wasn’t around the game itself. It was in anticipation for what ultimately happened with 7:35 remaining in the first quarter.
That’s when Steph Curry etched his name in the NBA record books yet again, this time as the league’s all-time three-point leader, with 2,974 in his career. While wearing his Under Armour Flow Curry 9 with “2974” written on the side, Curry took his rightful place on the three-point throne.
His celebratory shoes are certainly of note and also of value. Like any amazing moment in sports, especially in the NBA, what’s on your feet matters.
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.
Look at Michael Jordan’s aptly nicknamed “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12s. You see those kicks and know exactly why the originals fetch the equivalent of three years worth of rent in Manhattan.
As for Steph’s sneakers, we know they’re a big deal, but can we place an exact price on them?
“Steph Curry’s shoes from the night he broke the career three-point record at Madison Square Garden will be seen as a very significant piece in the collectible market,” PWCC Marketplace Director of Business Development Jesse Craig told Boardroom. “Investors will definitely treat them as such. The lowest price point someone should expect those shoes to go for is $250,000.”
Take that all in. That’s big money for Steph’s sneakers. However, they’re not the only piece of memorabilia that Curry wore that night with a chance to catch fire in the collectible market.
“In addition to the shoes,” Craig said, “Curry’s jersey and the game ball will also hold extreme value and garner intense interest from the market.”
With Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, and of course Spike Lee in attendance, the cache surrounding these kicks and all items associated with Steph that night are incredibly valuable to collectors.
“These are true one-of-one collectible pieces,” Craig said. “If you can obtain a game-worn item — and can prove it was game-worn with images — you have a one-of-a-kind asset.”
Craig is undoubtedly correct. The question becomes how the value of such assets will change over time.
“If this asset happens to be from a critical moment for the sport or in our cultural zeitgeist, then you have a museum-worthy piece,” Craig said.
With Steph’s Curry 9s already boasting museum potential, maybe the shoe might end up in the African American Museum in Washington D.C. like Shaquille O’Neal’s size 22 Shaq Attaq sneakers. Better yet, as time goes on, will it become evident that Curry’s record is unbreakable and will that influence the value and the meaning?
Perhaps someone somewhere may one day whisper to their child, ‘These shoes helped Steph Curry become the best three-point shooter ever. Maybe they will help you in your varsity basketball game tomorrow.’
This inspiration could be truly priceless.
To some, the Curry 9 might just be another Under Armour shoe. In reality, it’s a whole lot more.
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.