It started as a heartfelt moment and now it’s up for sale.
On Dec. 27 after a Spurs-Nets game in Brooklyn, Victor Wembanyama granted the wish of a young fan holding a sign asking whether he could swap jerseys with the French giant, who turned 21 days later.
The photo of Wembanyama holding a kid-sized jersey with the little boy holding the 7-foot-4 center’s game-worn jersey, which was nearly as big as him, instantly went viral.
Best jersey swap ever 🥹 pic.twitter.com/mcJxJQXlJI
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 28, 2024
Weeks later, the jersey is up for auction at Goldin. The opening price is $10,000, and the auction is slated to start Jan. 22. Wembanyama reacted to the news on X with a crying face emoji and didn’t appear to be asked about it after the Spurs’ 129–115 loss to the Grizzlies on Thursday night. He had 13 points in the game.
— Wemby (@wemby) January 15, 2025
Wembanyama went for 19 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks in the game he wore the to-be-auctioned jersey in. It was a solid performance, but the comical photo with the child was more memorable than anything that happened on the court.
Wembanyama is in his second season, which gives him a growing memorabilia market. A jersey from his rookie debut sold for a surprising $762,000 in November 2023 just weeks into his career.
The decision to sell the jersey so quickly raised the possibility that the parents planned to sell the jersey all along. Goldin declined to go into specifics of the seller or how long the company has been in discussions to sell the item.
“We respect the privacy of our clients,” a Goldin spokesperson told Front Office Sports in an email. “Goldin’s commitment to consignors and collectors is to bring authentic and iconic items to market.”