The t-shirt that Stephen Curry used in the sixth game of the 2022 NBA Finalsmeeting in which Golden State Warriors They sealed the championship against the Boston Celticswas recently sold for $2.45 million in a private transaction. The garment corresponds to one of the most iconic moments of the point guard’s career, since that victory represented Curry’s fourth NBA title and, in addition, the first and only Finals MVP award he has won so far.
The amount set a new record for a jersey worn by Stephen Curry in an official game. Until this moment, the highest sale related to the player had been recorded last summer, when Sotheby’s auctioned for $1.758 million the jersey he wore in his second NBA game, the one in which he hit his first triple as a professional.
The operation was confirmed by Barry Meisel, president and chief operating officer of MeiGray Group, the company that authenticated the shirt through detailed photographic analysis. Meisel explained to ESPN This is the only jersey that Curry wore during that sixth game of the 2022 Finals, a key fact to increase its value within the collectors market.
An expanding market and increasingly exclusive sales
MeiGray Group, recognized for its authentication and photographic analysis services, maintains agreements with Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and six NHL teams. The company had already sold this same shirt privately three and a half years ago for $1.7 million, reflecting the notable increase in its value in a relatively short period.
“We have seen a significant increase over the last 12 to 18 months in private sales of this magnitude,” Meisel said. “Collectibles are selling for much higher prices than they were a few years ago, and both buyers and sellers prefer private transactions.”
The buyer of the shirt was represented by Curio Advisors and decided to keep his identity anonymous, an increasingly common practice in this type of high-profile operations. The preference for private agreements, according to sector specialists, responds both to reasons of confidentiality and to the possibility of negotiating directly without the public exposure of an auction.
Meisel also highlighted the role that these types of pieces play in the history of modern sports. “We document, in real time, milestones and historical moments,” he noted. As an example, he recalled a recent ice hockey experience: “Last year, we authenticated Alex Ovechkin’s jersey from his 895th goal, which broke Gretzky’s record; I literally took it off his back during the post-game ceremony, authenticated it, and gave it to Alex. He says he’s building a museum in Russia for when he retires.”
Keep reading:
· NBA fines Celtics star $35,000 for harsh criticism of officiating
· Lakers will look for transfer offers until the market closes
· Kevin Durant surpassed Wilt Chamberlain and advances on the NBA’s all-time points list
