After an NBA game, some players give their jersey or even their shoes to a fan in the crowd. But what happens if a player doesn’t do that? Depending on who it is, those jerseys could sell for a pretty penny. People across the league understand the value game-worn memorabilia has, especially for LeBron James.
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A couple of weeks ago, news broke that millions of dollars’ worth of Miami Heat memorabilia had been stolen. The culprit, who would later be revealed to be 62-year-old Marcos Thomas Perez, carried out this plan for 18 months. This recent scandal shed light on game-worn memorabilia.
Most of the items belonged to James when he was a member of the Heat. This consisted of equipment worn in Miami’s four NBA Finals appearances behind James’ leadership. LeBron’s understanding revolving around the business behind memorabilia became quite strong during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Former Cavs teammate Channing Frye and Kendrick Perkins spoke on the Miami Heat theft, and related it to what they’ve seen firsthand with LeBron.
“Remember, we had sleeves,” Frye said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “His was torn so that he knew which one was his. He didn’t let anyone take it.”
Frye’s recollection provides more information regarding a philosophy that NBA fans had toward LeBron and sleeved jerseys. Those uniforms are iconic since the Cavaliers completed a 3-1 comeback to win the 2016 NBA championship. However, many people believed LeBron tore the sleeves because he felt like they restricted him.
That could still very well be true, but Frye revealed another intention by the action. James understands more than anyone that jerseys, especially his, would attract a hefty sum in an auction. But not everything is for money; that jersey holds a story that money can’t replicate.
“Sometimes they cut them, sometimes they put them on cards,” Frye said. Luckily for the 13-year NBA veteran, he got ahead of the curve and ensured his jersey was safe, too. “I gave my jersey to my wife, who was there, so I still have my game-worn jersey.”
It’s harder than it seems for a player to hold on to their original jersey for a specific game. Some players may lose track of how much they use. Kendrick Perkins is a perfect example.
“I went through two because I sweat a lot,” Perkins said. “By halftime, my jersey was like it was in a washing machine.”
LeBron had a great forward-thinking mind to ensure nothing happened to that jersey. Although some of his Heat memorabilia slipped the organization’s grasp, none of those could match the worth of his 2016 NBA Finals items. Those certainly have outstanding security protecting them safely.
