Cooper Flagg rookie card sells for record $8.04 million

A unique Cooper Flagg NBA rookie debut patch autograph card has sold for a record-breaking $8.04 million at a Fanatics Collect auction. The sale, which concluded on a Friday morning, involved 83 bids and represents the highest price ever paid for a single basketball card.

The item is a one-of-one 2026 Topps Chrome Updates NBA Debut Patch card. It surpassed the previous record for a Flagg card by more than $7 million and ranks as the third-most expensive NBA card sale in history, trailing only a $12.9 million Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card.

The card was originally discovered in an opened pack by a fan in Rhode Island after being purchased through a livestreamed box-opening service. Flagg, the 19-year-old first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, recently earned the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award while playing for the Dallas Mavericks.