Victor Wembanyama's Spurs NBA Debut Jersey Sells for $762K at Auction

Victor Wembanyama hype has reached a fever pitch in the memorabilia game.

A jersey worn by the San Antonio Spurs rookie sold Tuesday for $762,000 at a Sotheby's auction. The jersey was originally expected to fetch between $80,000 and $120,000, but the hype surrounding Wembanyama allowed the bids to more than sextuple the highest initial estimate.

Wembanyama had 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block during his NBA debut last month. The jersey at auction was worn in the second half, when Wembanyama put on a late-game show after struggling with foul trouble.

Considered the most hyped basketball prospect since LeBron James, Wembanyama hype has been through the roof for years at this point. An NFT trading card sold for just over $110,000 earlier this month—a jaw-dropping number, especially given the current state of NFTs as investments—and a summer-league jersey fetched over $60,000.

Suffice it to say these are not the type of numbers typically put up by a rookie.

Of course, the same can be said about Wembanyama on the court. The 7-footer is averaging 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game this season. While the individual success hasn't resulted in many victories for San Antonio, at least one bidder is banking a hefty sum that the wins will soon follow.