ISTANBUL – A basketball card featuring NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant sold for a world-record sum of USD12.932 million at an auction house in the US state of Texas, becoming the most expensive sports card ever sold.

Heritage Auctions in Dallas announced on the US social media company X’s platform Sunday that the 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card broke records during Saturday’s Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction.

"Bids for the 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant #DL-KM Signed soared like the players it depicts until it reached USD12,932,000," the auction house said.

The card uniquely features portraits, autographs and NBA jersey logo patches from both basketball legends.

It represents the only dual Logoman card featuring Jordan and Bryant, with Jordan’s jersey patch being a special gold variant.

The transaction exceeded the prior NBA card benchmark of USD5.2 million by more than double and narrowly topped the previous sports card auction record set by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that fetched USD12.6 million in 2022.

The Jordan-Bryant collectible now holds the position as the second-highest priced sports memorabilia item in history, trailing only Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series jersey, which commanded USD24.12 million in 2024.

The purchaser’s name has not been revealed.

Jordan is commonly considered the NBA’s greatest player ever, having secured six championships, while Bryant, another basketball legend, captured five titles throughout his career before his passing in January 2020 in a helicopter crash.

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a historic metropolis in Turkey that straddles the Bosphorus Strait, uniquely bridging the continents of Europe and Asia. Founded as Byzantium and later known as Constantinople, it served as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. This rich, layered history is visible in its iconic landmarks, such as the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace.

NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America, founded in New York City in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to form the modern NBA, which has since grown into a premier global sports and cultural phenomenon.

Upper Deck Exquisite Collection

“Upper Deck Exquisite Collection” is not a specific place or cultural site, but rather a premier line of high-end trading cards and collectibles produced by The Upper Deck Company. It was launched in the early 2000s and is renowned for featuring rare athlete autographs and memorabilia embedded directly into the cards, making it a significant part of modern sports memorabilia history.

Dallas

Dallas is a major city in Texas, founded in 1841 and incorporated in 1856. It grew into a commercial hub due to its strategic position along railroad lines and later became a national center for the oil and banking industries. The city is also known for its significant role in the arts, including the Dallas Arts District, and as the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

Texas

Texas is a state in the southern United States, originally inhabited by various Native American tribes before becoming a province of Mexico. It declared independence in 1836, forming the Republic of Texas, before joining the United States as the 28th state in 1845. Its unique history as an independent nation is a foundational part of its cultural identity, which is strongly associated with cowboy culture, cattle ranching, and oil production.

Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions is a major American auction house founded in 1976, specializing in rare collectibles, fine art, and memorabilia. It has grown to become the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer, with a history of handling high-profile sales of coins, comics, historical items, and sports memorabilia.

Topps

Topps is an American company founded in 1938, originally as a tobacco distributor before becoming a leading producer of chewing gum and collectible trading cards. It is most famous for its baseball cards, which it began producing in 1952, and has since expanded into a global brand for sports and entertainment collectibles.

World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB), first contested in 1903. It is a best-of-seven playoff between the champions of the American League and the National League to crown the sport’s ultimate champion.