LeBron James Has a Sports Cards Liquidation Plan If He Ever Falls on Hard Times

LeBron James may have earned hundreds of millions of dollars during his basketball career, but he still has a backup plan involving some valuable pieces of cardboard.

In a video shared by Topps, James was asked whether he knew the highest price ever paid for one of his trading cards. He correctly guessed that it was one of his rookie cards, although he did not know the exact amount.

James then revealed that he may have one or two similar cards stored securely in a vault.

“I happen to have like maybe one or two of those things locked in a vault somewhere,” James said. “So, just in case if I ever fall on hard times, then I’m good there.”

James was told that the card sold for $5.2 million, prompting a surprised reaction from the NBA star.

After learning that the transaction took place in 2021, James suggested the card might be worth even more now.

“I might need to go into that vault,” he joked.

The card referenced in the conversation was a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Parallel LeBron James autograph patch card numbered to 23.

According to Beckett, PWCC brokered a private sale of the card for $5.2 million in April 2021. The copy involved in the transaction was numbered 7 of 23 and graded BGS 9. Its subgrades included 10s for centering and surface, 9.5 for edges and 8.5 for corners.

At the time, the price set a record for a basketball card and matched the highest publicly reported price for any sports card.

James did not say that he owns the exact card involved in the $5.2 million sale. His comments indicate that he may own one or two similar cards, but the Topps video does not establish their precise versions, serial numbers, grades or current values.

The Exquisite Rookie Parallel was limited to 23 copies, matching the jersey number James wore during his first seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The card combines an autograph and patch with one of the most important rookie-year designs of the modern basketball card era.

The exchange also showed that James was not closely following the market for his own cards. While collectors have tracked the value of his early Exquisite cards for years, James appeared genuinely surprised to learn that one had reached $5.2 million.