Bronny James was far from the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers to be a teammate of his father, LeBron James.
However, he was arguably the main attraction of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. As a result, aside from a presumably hopeful projection for his burgeoning professional career, Bronny’s Summer League jersey was by far the number one pick in terms of the price it fetched at auction on Friday.
James’ game-worn jersey sold for $38,400 at Sotheby’sSummer League Selections” auction. It was expected to sell for between $6,000 and $10,000.
That generated a much higher bid than the uniform worn by top draft pick Zaccharie Risacher. The Atlanta Hawks rookie jersey sold for $3,360. According to The AthleticHouston Rockets No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard’s Summer League jersey sold for $15,600.
Bronny’s jersey nearly outsold his father’s at the Sotheby’s auction. A LeBron jersey he wore for the Lakers’ Nov. 15, 2023 game against the Sacramento Kings, in which he recorded a triple-double of 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, sold for $42,000 — just $3,600 more than his son’s Summer League jersey.
In comparison, Victor Wembanyama’s debut shirt in the Summer League Sold for $62,020 last year after being the first overall pick in 2023. His debut regular-season jersey sold for $762,000. Bronny’s jersey probably won’t come close to that figure.
In his Summer League debut, also against the Kings, Bronny scored four points with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in a 104-98 loss. No, they weren’t eye-popping numbers. But they did come in Bronny’s first NBA action, albeit in an exhibition game.
If LeBron’s son ends up having a respectable NBA career, that jersey could be a notable keepsake. But perhaps owning the jersey isn’t just about money for the fan and collector who made the final bid.