An exclusive LeBron James trading card is expected to sell for more than $7 million (AUD) at auction this week.
The LeBron James “Triple Logoman” features the 18-time NBA All-Star alongside logo patches taken from the game jerseys James wore during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
Panini, the NBA’s exclusive card producer, created five cards as part of its 2020-2021 “Flawless” collection. However, only James’ features patches from a single player, making the card truly one-of-a-kind.
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The card was found during a live social media event after a year-long hunt among collectors, even capturing the attention of Canadian rapper Drake, who bought 10 cases of the basketball cards to try to locate it.
“The best comparison that I can use for the modern reader is imagine Willy Wonka [and] the Chocolate Factory, looking for that gold ticket,” executive chairman of Goldin Auctions Ken Goldin told Reuters.
“And then imagine there was only one golden ticket instead of five.”
The collectable could become the most expensive modern-day trading card, surpassing the Honus Wagner T206 baseball card which sold for over $9 million last year.
It is thought James’ newly minted billionaire status could influence the selling price.
The auction opens on Wednesday and closes on June 25.
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