Millionaire Rapper Wins Rare Stephen Curry Collectible but Loses LeBron James Battle for “Most Important” Item

For an avid ‘grail’ collector, Sotheby’s, a royal auction house debuted its most coveted event. The “Holy Grails” auction, presented by Fanatics Collect and Sotheby’s attracted high-profile celebrities to engage in a bidding war for some of the rarest sports collectibles. The most elusive LeBron James, Steph Curry, and other ginormous athlete’s antique cards went under the hammer. The likes of Tom Brady, Tacko Fall, and others watched on. While they didn’t directly participate, Meek Mill didn’t want to wait around. He was active throughout.

His first purchase attempt came as what is described as “one of the most important modern rookie cards ever made”. It unsurprisingly belonged to the King, the most prolific rookie probably in NBA history. The card in question – an autographed 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Auto LeBron James 69/99. Over four minutes of bidding took place, with the hip-hop artist trying his all to add the invaluable collectible to his collection.

Sadly, the strenuous war came to an end with a $432,000 winning bid according to Bleacher Report, secured by an online buyer. But the night was still young. Meek Mill didn’t want to exit without having some ‘bling’ with him. “Ima cop a big boy” he professed while at the event. So instead of James, he decided to target one of the other influential NBA icons, Stephen Curry.

He continued to bid on his 2009/10 Panini Playoff National Treasures Stephen Curry Century Gold Rookie Patch Autograph /25 BGS 9/10 card. In previous sales, the hobby only sold for a maximum of $17,912. However, since then the Baby Face Assassin has become one of the pivotal players of this era. Meek Mill needed to shed $160,000 to attain the card which was slightly below its auction estimates set at $200,000.

In comparison to his most expensive card though, this was only a fraction of the value.

Stephen Curry beat LeBron James in his rookie card sale

In terms of rookies, the mammoth pressure that was bestowed upon LeBron James was simply unrivaled. Touted the ‘Chosen One’, he had the weight of the entire basketball fraternity resting on his shoulders. 22 years later, it is well documented how the King has broken through those limits and carved out an illustrious career.

The most expensive of his rookie cards, the same model as the one in the “Holy Grails” auction sold for a lucrative $5.2 million in April 2021. For three months, it was the most lucrative NBA rookie card sale in history. The reason for its shortened record? You guessed it, Stephen Curry.

Apart from keeping James away from several more NBA titles than four, Curry is also responsible for changing the pattern of basketball forever. His shooting heroics shaped the way for modern basketball and coined the phrase ‘no lead is safe with Curry’. Understandably, as his accolades racked up, so did the value of his esteemed rookie card.

And in July 2021 during a private sale, a 2009-10 Panini National Treasures Stephen Curry Rookie Logoman Autograph sold for a whopping $5.9 million, breaking through the benchmark set by his Akron buddy, LeBron James. It became the most expensive sports card ever sold, as Topline. Alt Fund II purchased a 51% stake in the 1/1 collectible.

The true value though might increment as the four-time champion approaches the twilight of his career. Ultimately when looking to “flip” the purchase, even Meek Mill is backing Curry to catapult the value of his various collectibles.