Swaps, Slams, and Stolen Relics

Hey there, Collectors,

Victor Wembanyama is out for the rest of the season after suffering a blood clot in his shoulder, and it’s been wild to see just how many NBA fans online appear to have medical degrees- who needs WebMD when you have X.com?!

But Wemby’s uncertain future hasn’t turned off collectors. In fact, in the days since his injury was announced, multiple rare Wemby collectibles have sold for eye watering sums.

Remember that viral jersey swap with a pint-size fan? That jersey sold at Goldin on Saturday for $73K.

And even though both fans and Wembanyama himself took issue with the NBA’s new ‘experimental’ All Star festivities, the jersey Wemby wore during the game brought in $229K at Sothebys.

And in the card world, Wemby’s 1/1 Panini Prizm Nebula Choice sold at Goldin Saturday night for a whopping $860K.

So despite X.com user @jimmybananas174620134’s belief that Wemby may never play another minute of basketball again, collectors appear non-plussed, and the Wemby market seems just as healthy as ever.

cllct: Caitlin Clark NFT sells for record $51,248

NFT’s are dead, long live NFTs! Caitlin Clark’s rookie reign keeps breaking new ground. Her 2024 Prizm WNBA Gold Vinyl 1/1 NFT fetched $51K on Panini’s blockchain, snagging the record for priciest WNBA digital card so to-date. The second most-expensive WNBA NFT? Also a Clark Gold Vinyl 1/1, which traded for $20K less than two hours earlier.

HypeBeast: Los Angeles Lakers Team Up With 'One Piece' for Limited-Edition Collaborative T-Shirt

It’s not only Luka Dončić getting Lakers fans excited. The team and One Piece are teaming up for a limited-edition t-shirt dropping February 28 for their showdown against the crosstown Clippers. Monkey D. Luffy’s purple-and-gold dunk headlines the design, paired with a free Straw Hat Pirates poster for Crypto.com Arena fans. Given the hype of One Piece and the limited number of items, odds are this slam-dunk crossover for hoop heads and anime buffs alike will have resellers and collectors lining up early on game day.

SCD: Maris Jersey, Ruth and Clemente Rookie Cards Top $1 Million at Heritage

A nearly full uniform—jersey, pants, and stirrups—from Roger Maris’ historic 1961 season sold over the weekend for nearly $1.6M at Heritage Auctions. The photo-matched jersey was tied to five of Maris’ 61 home runs, which topped Babe Ruth’s 1927 mark of 60 dingers. The jersey wasn’t just worn breaking a record, it broke a record of its own- the uniform now holds the top spot for most-expensive Maris item sold at auction. The same Heritage sale also moved a 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card for $1.44M and a 1955 Roberto Clemente rookie for $1M, too.

Robb Report: $2.2 Million Worth of Ancient Artifacts Trafficked Through New York Are Returning to Greece and Italy

In non-sports news, the Manhattan DA’s Office cracked another looting case, recovering 118 artifacts worth $2.2 million, with the items now heading back to Greece and Italy. Highlights include a 1300 BCE Greek figurine and a 4th-century BCE marble relief, plus an Italian Kylix cup swiped from Vulci decades ago. Nabbed from traffickers and museums that had been displaying looted artifacts, these pieces are finally heading home.