Cooper Flagg rookie card sells for record sum after late-night bidding war

A Cooper Flagg rookie card just joined the ranks of the most expensive trading cards ever sold publicly. 

Flagg's one-of-one 2026 Topps Chrome Updates NBA Debut Patch autographed card sold for $8.04 million through Fanatic Collect's September Premier Auction. 

The sale set a record for the most expensive basketball card featuring a single player, according to Fanatics Collectibles. 

It became the third-highest NBA card sale ever, trailing only two dual cards featuring combinations of Michael Jordan with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, respectively. 

Flagg's rookie card also shattered the previous record for a Debut Patch card, which had belonged to Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes at $1.1 million. 

Cooper Flagg's rookie card sparks late-night bidding war

The auction ran from Sept. 10-24, but the biggest action came in the final hours of the sale. 

Bidding reportedly jumped from $3.5 million to 8.04 million between 9 p.m. EST on Thursday and 2 a.m. on Friday, as collectors battled for a chance to win the rare collectible. 

The one-of-one card features the NBA Debut patch Flagg wore during his first NBA game, along with the Dallas Mavericks star's autograph. 

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The rookie patch was removed from Flagg's jersey following his Oct. 22, 2025 debut against the San Antonio Spurs and was later embedded into the Topps Chrome Update card. 

He notably finished that first game with 10 points and 10 rebounds before going on to win NBA Rookie of the Year. 

Flagg wasn't the only member of his rookie class who pulled in a seven-figure price in the auction. 

Dylan Harper's NBA Debut Patch sold for $2.88 million.

Fanatics Collectibles

Meanwhile, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel's fetched $2.34 million.

Together, the three cards now stand as the most expensive Debut Patch cards of all time since the concept was introduced by the MLB in 2021. 

This was the first class of NBA Debut Patch cards. 

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