Pippen’s private memorabilia collection sells for $6.2 million at auction.
Seventy-one items from the personal collection of six-time NBA champion and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen have been auctioned by Sotheby’s for a total of $6,226,072.
Included in the sale were a set of six 24-karat gold overlay and sterling silver replicas of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, produced by Tiffany & Co. and presented to Pippen by Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf after each of the Bulls’ six championships, which fetched $640,000. Pippen’s signed jersey from the “Flu Game,” which took place in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, sold for $486,400, setting an auction record for Pippen memorabilia.
The auction attracted bidders from 32 different countries.
“Scottie Pippen was instrumental in raising six championship banners in Chicago — and based on the enthusiasm for this collection, it was clear that collectors were eager to participate,” stated Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, in a post-auction statement. “Collaborating closely with Scottie to curate this assortment of jerseys, sneakers, and championship artifacts — items that were part of some of basketball’s most pivotal moments — has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”
Pippen also included items from iconic teammates, such as Larry Bird and, notably, Michael Jordan.
Jordan’s game-worn and signed Nike Air Jordan VIIs from the 1992 Olympics, which were given to Pippen following the United States’ 117-85 gold medal game triumph over Croatia, sold for $640,000. Larry Bird’s game-worn and signed “Dream Team” jersey achieved a sale price of $896,000, marking an auction record for Bird memorabilia.
Pippen’s own game-worn “Dream Team” jersey, worn during the gold medal game, sold for $384,000, while his 1998 “Last Dance” NBA Finals jersey — associated with Game 1 and Game 6, the championship-clinching match — sold for $448,000.
Wachter remarked: “The passionate engagement of collectors and fans with both the exhibition and tonight’s auction highlights the profound respect for Pippen’s legacy, as well as the significant momentum we are witnessing in the market for 1990s basketball memorabilia.”
