Seventy-one lots of six-time NBA champion and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen’s personal collection have sold via Sotheby’s for $6,226,072.
Among Pippen-specific items sold were a set of six 24-karat gold overlay and sterling silver Tiffany & Co.-produced Larry O’Brien Trophy replicas, gifted to Pippen by Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf after each of the Bulls’ six titles, which sold for $640,000. Pippen’s signed jersey worn in the “Flu Game,” Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, sold for $486,400, an auction record for Pippen memorabilia.
The auction drew participants from 32 countries.
“Scottie Pippen helped raise six championship banners in Chicago — and judging by the response to this collection, collectors were more than ready to raise their paddles,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, in a statement following the auction. “Working closely with Scottie to assemble this group of jerseys, sneakers, and championship artifacts — pieces present for some of basketball’s most defining moments — has been a truly special experience.”
Pippen also consigned items from legendary teammates, including Larry Bird and, of course, Michael Jordan.
Jordan’s game-worn and signed Nike Air Jordan VIIs from the 1992 Olympics, gifted to Pippen after the United States’ 117-85 gold medal game victory over Croatia, sold for $640,000. Larry Bird’s game-worn and signed “Dream Team” jersey sold for $896,000, an auction record for Bird memorabilia.
Pippen’s own game-worn “Dream Team” jersey, worn in the gold medal game, sold for $384,000, and his 1998 “Last Dance” NBA Finals jersey — matched to Game 1 and Game 6, the championship-clinching victory — sold for $448,000.
Said Wachter: “Seeing collectors and fans engage so passionately with both the exhibition and tonight’s sale underscores the deep respect for Pippen’s legacy, while also reflecting the remarkable momentum we’re seeing across the market for 1990s basketball memorabilia.”
