RUNNEMEDE, N.J. — LeBron James might be on the cusp of setting another record.
And someone will have to pay a lot of money to make it happen.
A one-of-a-kind James trading card — called the “Triple Logoman” — is up for auction this month, with some believing that it wind up as the most expensive card ever sold. The current record is $6.6 million that was spent for a Honus Wagner trading card last year.
The Wagner card is more than 100 years old. The James card is part of Panini’s 2020-21 “Flawless” collection, and features the NBA logo patch from three of his jerseys, one each from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The card stands out like no other card in the history of the industry,” said Ken Goldin, the founder and executive chairman of the collectibles marketplace Goldin — which is auctioning the card this month. “Typically, it’s the older vintage cards that are very valuable. ... But there’s really never been a card this popular before it was even pulled from a pack.”
Through Wednesday afternoon, bidding was at $1.7 million. The auction continues through June 25.
Panini created only five “Triple Logoman” cards, and James’ further stands out as the lone one featuring three patches from a single player. The hunt was frenzied, with even rapper Drake getting involved and purchasing packs with hopes of landing the James card.
The card was found earlier this year, and Goldin got the right to handle its sale.
James already can say he’s been the featured athlete on the highest-priced basketball trading card in history. A card from his rookie season sold for $5.2 million last year.
“It’s got a reasonable shot of passing $5.2 million,” Goldin said. “This, to me, is an iconic card, and if it can break that record, it just shows people how valuable trading cards can be and that it does not have to be 100 years old. I think it’s really going to encourage people to go out to their local stores, go out to their hobby shops, go out to the Targets and Walmarts and buy packs of cards and rip them open trying to find the next golden ticket.”
James is No. 2 on the NBA's career scoring list, and on pace to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot next season.
