Cooper Flagg Debut Jersey Sells for $1 Million
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Basketball fans love the legends and it seems the memorabilia and card market is sending a message - that many fans and collectors believe Cooper Flaff could be the next legend in the making. He's been so good in his rookie season that it's easy to forget that he's just 19 years old. The recent private sale of his NBA debut jersey set a record for Flagg memorabilia with a $1 million. Clearly the sky is the limit for this rookie from Maine. He's having a great rookie year, averaging 20 points a game and impressing even his biggest fans who thought his first year in the NBA might be more learning than doing.
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COOPER FLAGG $1 MILLION DEBUT JERSEY
The jersey doesn't include the Topps Rookie Debut Patch, as that will be placed in a patch card at some point. But there's no denying that patch or no patch, Flagg's rookie jersey was destined to sell for a boatload of money. Sotheby's has a deal with the NBA to auction game worn jerseys, but this was sold before it could ever get to auction. The buyer has not yet been identified.
“The $1 million result for Cooper Flagg’s rookie debut jersey is a powerful testament to the significance collectors place on true ‘first moments’ in sport,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectibles, said in a statement. “This jersey captures the very beginning of a special career, one carrying huge expectations and excitement.”
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COOPER FLAGG 49 POINT GAME
Where does Flagg's card and memorabilia market go from here? Based on this record sale and how hot his cards have been, things don't look to be slowing down anytime soon. Many Flagg fans and collectors plan to hold for the long term, in the hopes that he truly can become the next NBA legend. If that turns out to be the case, $1 million for his NBA debut jersey will look like a steal one day in the future. Collectors are already pointing to his probable Rookie of the Year awards the next catalyst to drive prices even higher - as for hype, he's in a league of his own already
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.