Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal Championship-Clinching Balls Fetch Record Prices at Sotheby’s
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Two basketballs used to seal the Los Angeles Lakers’ first two titles of the 2000s sold for a combined $825,500 in a Sotheby’s auction, setting a new benchmark for championship memorabilia.
The ball from Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals—when the Lakers captured their first championship since 1988—brought in $508,000, the highest amount ever paid for a title-clinching basketball. The ball from the 2001 Finals, which secured the second leg of Los Angeles’ eventual three-peat, sold for $317,500.
Each ball carries at least a dozen Lakers signatures. The 2000 ball bears the autographs of both Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, while the 2001 ball features Bryant’s signature. Photo-matching documentation from MeiGray and Sports Investors Authentication accompanies both items, along with letters from Professional Sports Authenticator verifying the signatures.
The previous auction record for a championship-winning ball was $107,950, set in July for a ball from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025 title run. Sotheby’s confirmed the 2000 Lakers ball more than quadrupled that mark.
Bryant and O’Neal led Los Angeles to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. During the first two runs, Bryant averaged 28.5 and 25.2 points per game, respectively, while O’Neal posted 27-point double-doubles, forming one of the most dominant duos in league history.
Source: LakersNation.com
