Rookie Gold: Cooper Flagg’s Debut Jersey Sells for $1 Million

Before most rookies finish unpacking their suitcases, Cooper Flagg is already making history — not just on the court, but in the collector’s world too.

The jersey Flagg wore during the first half of his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks has sold privately for a staggering $1 million through Sotheby’s, setting a new record for any Flagg collectible and for a jersey ever sold via NBA Auctions. It’s a jaw-dropping price tag for a player who had only just stepped onto the league’s biggest stage — but Flagg hasn’t exactly been ordinary.

In that Oct. 22 debut against the San Antonio Spurs, a tough 125–92 loss, the teenage phenom still managed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds — a glimpse of the all-around dominance scouts had predicted for years. Since then, the hype has only intensified. Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a game and later dropped 49, the most ever by a teenager, cementing his arrival as more than just potential.

Collectors weren’t buying fabric — they were buying a first chapter. According to Sotheby’s, “true first moments” carry a mystique that only grows with time, especially when tied to a player widely expected to shape the league’s future.

The sale eclipses the previous NBA Auctions jersey record: Victor Wembanyama’s debut-game jersey, which fetched $762,000 in 2023. Now Flagg sits atop that mountain too.

And if this is what his very first night is worth, one thing is clear: Cooper Flagg’s story — on hardwood and in history — is only getting started.