The Lebron James "The Chosen One" High School Jersey Sells For $1.3 Million

Before we knew LeBron as the player we know him today, we knew him as "The Chosen One." Sports Illustrated has used that tagline on a few other players, like Bryce Harper, but no player has ever lived up to the expectation the way LeBron has throughout his career.

LeBron has been featured on 25 different Sports Illustrated covers, which is third all-time behind Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.

None are more iconic than the cover he was featured on during his high school days. SI has showcased some of the best sports photography in the industry for decades, but it is rare for a cover to become as important as the issue that featured LeBron.

The jersey he wore on that cover has joined the ranks of the most expensive sports memorabilia items, selling for $1.3 million.

LeBron's high school jersey from the infamous Sports Illustrated ‘Chosen One’ cover has sold for a record $1.3 million at auction 🤑 pic.twitter.com/vAvGbHZHUQ
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) September 30, 2024

Other jerseys have sold in the high seven figures, and we've even seen some sell in the eight figures in recent years.

Up until recently, the most expensive jersey of all time was a Michael Jordan NBA Finals jersey from 1996 that sold for just over $10 million. That sale, back in 2022, came just a few months after Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" Argentina jersey sold for $9.28 million in May of that year, and Wayne Gretzky's final Edmonton Oilers game jersey sold for $1.452 million in June of the same year. sales data from ESPN

When you think of moments in sports that have transcended the game, Babe Ruth calling his shot is often one of the first that comes to mind. If you polled a random person and struck the pose Babe Ruth did, there’s a good chance they would recognize it instantly.

Just a few months ago, the most expensive jersey of all time sold through Heritage Auctions for a whopping $24 million.

After touring the country, including a return to Wrigley Field, and six plus hours in extended bidding tonight, Babe Ruth’s ‘Called Shot’ Jersey closes at $24.12 Million to become the world’s most valuable piece of sports memorabilia pic.twitter.com/EuHKB3KicP
— Heritage Auctions Sports (@Heritage_Sport) August 25, 2024

With all the history surrounding the LeBron jersey, and considering the prices of other jerseys at auction, as crazy as it sounds, $1.3 million seems like a pretty good deal.