Exclusive: Rare Victor Wembanyama, Tim Duncan Cards Auction for More Than $500K

SAN ANTONIO — Only 11 NBA players have fetched over $1 million in a public sale for a rare or exclusive edition of their trading cards. Mike Provenzale nearly got them all.

"LeBron (James)," Provenzale said, beginning his list. "Steph Curry. Anthony Davis has one. Michael Jordan, Luka Dončić. Wemby has a million-dollar sale. That's six. Failure."

For the curious: Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander round out the esteemed list. Provenzale laughed.

"It's all the names you would expect," he told Spurs On SI.

Since 2006, Provenzale has worked at Heritage Auctions in several capacities, starting as a consignment coordinator before becoming a certified auctioneer. The Plano, Texas, local oversaw a slew of San Antonio Spurs memorabilia that fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars during Heritage Auctions' Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction on Aug. 21-23.

Tim Duncan took a step in the right direction to conclude the weekend, but neither he nor Wembanyama added another entry to the million-dollar club.

A 2024 Victor Wembanyama Logoman card featured during Fanatics Fan Fest in New York recently sold for $225,700 at Heritage Auctions' Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction in Dallas. | Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com

Wembanyama's One-of-One 2024 Platinum Encased Logoman card with an NBA Logoman patch sold for $225,700, while Duncan's 1997 Skybox Metal Universe rookie card sold for $330,645.62, setting a new record for any publicly auctioned Tim Duncan card.

"Only 10 of (those) Duncan cards exist," Provenzale said, noting the green background. "That limited nature, when you combine it with his top-tier talent, being in the Hall of Fame ... that's where the interest really comes from. It's real rarefied air for Duncan cards."

Another piece of Spurs memorabilia that sold in Dallas over the weekend included a salesman's sample of Duncan's 2014 Spurs championship ring, which went for $2,806.

Despite Duncan's widespread acclaim for his on-court accomplishments, Provenzale explained his lack of off-court ventures — and perhaps some of his quiet personality — have contributed to a generally lower market value for the five-time NBA champion.

Wembanyama, on the other hand, appeals to another network of collectors. Without a championship or an MVP Award to his name, his sales are driven largely by early investment.

"There's a lot of money behind the people that are playing now," Provenzale said. "A lot of that is speculation, just like people would speculate on new stocks or new real estate. People are very confident that (Wembanyama's) career is going to continue to trend upward."

He continued: "Given the early success, he's one of the players that people are most hot about investing in, even though his career is still at the very beginning."

Photos of a salesman’s sample of Tim Duncan’s 2014 Spurs championship ring, which recently sold for $2,806 at Heritage Auctions' Summer Platinum Night Spots Auction in Dallas. | Photos courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com.

Wembanyama and Duncan's cards, along with Duncan's sample ring, contributed to the highest-grossing sports auction of all time, per Heritage Auctions.

The event, which also featured a One-of-One 2004 SP Game-Used Authentic Fabrics Dual Michael Jordan/Isiah Thomas card that sold for $869,250, brought in a total of $62.9 million, surpassing the previous record of $61.6 million also set by Heritage Auctions in 2024.

“This was a landmark event for the entire sports-collecting hobby," Heritage Auctions' director of sports auctions Chris Ivy said, per a press release. "The record-setting auction total and more than 200 individual auction records reflect both the exceptional quality of the offerings and the remarkable passion and confidence of collectors around the world."

While Wembanyama is likely to add several more entries to the million-dollar club, Duncan may remain below that threshold for a while longer. Unless, of course, he creates a podcast.

"There is a factor for collectors," Provenzale began, "especially collecting on the modern side, of people that are still in the public eye. It does affect the values of their material."

Even then, it seems Duncan is more in line for a steady rise over time.

"I would expect (Duncan's) cards to continue to go up in value as we move further away from his career," Provenzale said. "People will probably get more appreciation for what he did. If this card sells in five years, it'll probably sell for more than it sold for now."

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