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Dan HajduckyDec 13, 2025, 05:32 AM<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Dan Hajducky is a staff writer for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men’s soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities.<\/p>\n Championship-clinching basketballs from the 2000 NBA Finals — which marked Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s first title together and the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>‘ first title since 1988 — and the 2001 NBA Finals, the second in the Lakers’ three-peat, sold for $508,000 and $317,500, respectively, at Sotheby’s.<\/p>\n The balls are both signed by at least a dozen Lakers; the 2000 ball is signed by both Bryant and O’Neal, and the 2001 ball is signed by Bryant. Both balls include photo-matching letters from companies MeiGray and Sports Investors Authentication as well as letters from Professional Sports Authenticator verifying authenticity of the signatures.<\/p>\n The $508,000 for the 2000 Finals ball is the most ever paid for a championship-clinching ball, according to Sotheby’s. The previous record belonged to the ball from the 2025 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>‘s first post-relocation title, which sold for $107,950 at Sotheby’s in July.<\/p>\n In the same auction, a pair of game-worn and signed Michael Jordan “Air Ship” sneakers from his rookie season, worn on Dec. 2, 1984 — Jordan’s first matchup with Magic Johnson, a 113-112 Bulls victory — sold for $698,500. A complete set of six Chicago Bulls<\/a> title rings, owned by longtime team security guard John Capps, pulled in $406,400, and Shohei Ohtani<\/a>‘s signed jersey from 2024 Jackie Robinson Day brought in $330,200.<\/p>\n The Jordan sneakers include photo-matching letters from MeiGray and SIA and an authentication letter from PSA on Jordan’s signature.<\/p>\n The rings feature Capps’ name on the side. The Ohtani jersey features stickers from MeiGray and MLB Authenticated, as well as Fanatics, regarding the veracity of the signature.<\/p>\nBasketballs from the Lakers’ legendary 2000 and 2001 championships, both signed by Kobe Bryant and one signed by Shaquille O’Neal, have sold at Sotheby’s auction house for $508,000 and $317,500, respectively\u00a0Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n