A game-worn home white Sacramento Kings jersey belonging to Jason Williams from the lockout-shortened 1998-99 NBA season, which was also Williams’ rookie year, has been sold privately for $140,000. This amount marks the highest price paid for any item associated with Williams.
The jersey was authenticated by MeiGray, a company specializing in authentication and photo matching, with assistance from a letter provided by Williams’ father. The verification occurred in December 2023, and the jersey was matched to over seven games from the 1998-99 season, including Williams’ inaugural preseason game as a professional and Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Utah Jazz.
“We have only photo-matched one white and one black game-worn Jason Williams rookie season jersey,” stated Barry Meisel, president and chief operating officer of MeiGray. “This was still a time when players typically had one or two jerseys per season – and a rookie jersey is among the most sought-after in the game-worn collecting community.”
MeiGray facilitated the sale of the jersey to an undisclosed buyer represented by Curio Advisors, a firm specializing in fine arts and collectibles, which serves a diverse clientele that includes entrepreneurs, individual art collectors, financial funds, and even “nation states” beginning to explore investments in sports memorabilia.
“There are individuals who have a genuine interest in the culture surrounding Jason Williams,” remarked Bradley Calleja, founder and CEO of Curio Advisors. “He ranked among the top five in jersey sales during his rookie year – his highlight reel is well-known – but when it comes to his [game-worn] jerseys, there are only a few, and this is the sole white one we have encountered.”
This is the same jersey that Williams wore for the cover shoot of the August 1999 issue of SLAM, which David Schnur, president of SLAM Media, describes as one of the most esteemed covers in the magazine’s history.
“Penny [Hardaway] and Shaw made the Magic jersey iconic, [Michael] Jordan and [Scottie] Pippen made the Bulls jersey iconic, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, and Alonzo Mourning made the Hornets jersey ironic,” Schnur noted. “Jason Williams achieved that for the Kings.”
