A basketball from one of the biggest moments in Knicks history is about to hit the auction block.
Sotheby’s is set to auction the ball from OG Anunoby’s game-winning basket in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, with bidding opening June 30. It’s the same ball Anunoby tipped in after a missed shot by Jalen Brunson, helping the Knicks secure a 107-106 comeback win.
While Sotheby’s did not disclose an estimated sale price, two sports memorabilia appraisers told Business Insider the ball could sell for millions.
Michael Osacky, an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers and a USPAP-compliant sports appraiser, told Business Insider the ball could fetch between $2.5 million and $4.5 million.
Osacky said the ball’s value stems from its role in one of the most talked-about moments of the NBA Finals and what led to the end of the Knicks’ 53-year championship drought.
“The timing is perfect. Ideally, something like this needs to be sold within days or weeks of the ‘event’ happening. If the auction was delayed until the start of the season when the team receives its NBA Championship rings, the value would decrease by 20% to 30%,” Osacky said.
Moreover, New York City’s large population of multimillionaires and wealthy collectors could further boost demand for the piece of sports history, he added.
“The winner will probably have it displayed at their office for colleagues, clients, and friends to see,” Osacky said.
Bradley Calleja, president of Curio Advisors, which specializes in fine art and collectible appraisals, estimated the ball could sell for between $3 million and $4 million at auction, with a replacement value for insurance of $5 million.
“The OG tip-in has become a viral moment with a major social media impact, which will stand the test of time since it’s not related to any breakable record — it’s the ball that finally brought a championship back to NYC,” Calleja told Business Insider.
There are few comparisons for a ball with this kind of provenance, he said.
In 2019, the ball used to score Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s final career points fetched $270,050. Last year, the basketball used when Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant won their first NBA title together for the Lakers in 2000 sold for $508,000.
“I believe that the moment and historic significance of the OG Knicks ball is far more impactful than either of those sales, and it should be valued in comparison with the most expensive baseballs ever sold,” Calleja said.
That includes Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball, which holds the record at $4.392 million, Freddie Freeman’s 2024 World Series walk-off grand slam ball, which sold for $1.56 million, and Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball, which went for $1.5 million, Calleja said.
The ball is part of a larger collection of Finals memorabilia up for auction at Sotheby’s, including game-worn jerseys and pieces of the Madison Square Garden court used during Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.
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