DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 20: Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, watches on during the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 20, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Barack Obama never played in the NBA. He didn’t even take to a college basketball court. But that didn’t stop his high school basketball jersey from selling at record price this weekend.
Obama’s Punahou School (Honolulu, Hawaii) basketball jersey sold for $192,000 at an auction in Beverley Hills, California. The $192,000 price tag is a new world record, breaking the previous record held by none other than LeBron James.
LeBron’s high school basketball jersey sold for $187,500 last year. It’s the same jersey No. 23 wore during his Sports Illustrated cover photo shoot back in 2002.
Obama also wore No. 23 during his high school days. He now holds the record for the highest price of a high school jersey in auction history. Take a look at the $192,000 jersey below.
SOLD for $192,000 The high school basketball jersey worn by Barack Obama, who later became the 44th president of the United States. A new World Record for a high school jersey sold at auction!
Sold today in Day 4 of our "Icons & Idols: Trilogy" auction – Icons & Idols: Sports! pic.twitter.com/MzlwkjVC3T
— Juliens Auctions (@JuliensAuctions) December 4, 2020
It’s hard to believe someone paid $192,000 for Barack Obama’s high school jersey, a jersey that doesn’t even include his name. But to each their own. After all, he was the 44th president of the United States.
Obama has always had a great love for the game of basketball. Some of his most iconic non-political moments of his presidency came during the month of March. He spent time with ESPN filling out his March Madness bracket each year of his presidency. The bracket filling would then be aired on an ESPN special for college basketball fans to see.
Obama continues to stay involved in the basketball community, interacting with current NBA stars on a consistent basis.
