A game-worn jersey from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg's NBA debut has sold for $1 million through Sotheby's, setting the record for the highest price ever paid for a Flagg collectible and for any jersey sold through the NBA Auctions program - a remarkable milestone for a player still in his first professional season.
Sotheby's announced the private sale Thursday. The jersey, worn by Flagg only during the first half of his debut on October 22, 2025, against the San Antonio Spurs, was sold privately earlier this month to an unnamed buyer. The previous NBA Auctions record belonged to Victor Wembanyama, whose debut jersey sold for $762,000 in November 2023. Flagg's jersey eclipsed that mark by more than $238,000.
Flagg recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first regular-season game - a 125-92 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22 - marking the official beginning of what has already become a historic rookie campaign.
Sotheby's Head of Modern Collectibles Brahm Wachter framed the sale as a reflection of collector fascination with historic "first moments" in sport. "I think people see Flagg with the potential for an American icon," Wachter said. "I'm not quite sure that, at least in my time handling sort of young rookie memorabilia, that I've seen anything quite like this demand since LeBron [James]."
Flagg's jersey does not include the Rookie Debut Patch that was initially seen on the jersey, as that was a Topps-specific patch that will be placed in a 1-of-1 autographed card at some point.
The eye-popping sale price reflects a season of equally eye-popping on-court production. Flagg has become the NBA's youngest player to score 40 points in a game and owns the single-game record for points scored by a teenager, with 49. He is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game and is considered the clear front-runner for Rookie of the Year.
The most expensive jersey sold from an NBA rookie season still belongs to Michael Jordan - an autographed 1984 Chicago Bulls jersey worn during Jordan's rookie year that sold through Sotheby's for $4.2 million in March 2025.
The record sale comes as Flagg is sidelined with a left midfoot sprain, though the Mavericks have described the injury as less serious than initially feared. Sotheby's and the NBA will hold a broader NBA Rookie Debut Auction from March 17–23, featuring debut jerseys from other 2025 draft class members including V.J. Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, and Derik Queen.
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