Coveted Cooper Flagg debut patch rookie card sells for $8 million
A sports collector made a big bet on the future of Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg.
An unidentified buyer shelled out $8,040,000 on Flagg's Topps Chrome debut patch rookie card in an auction run by Fanatics Collect that ended Thursday night.
It was the third-most expensive basketball card ever sold, and sixth-most-expensive sports card overall, Fanatics Collect said.
The card features Flagg's autograph, as well as a patch that was on the jersey he wore during his first NBA game on Oct. 22, 2025. The one-of-a-kind debut patch cards have been popular with collectors since Topps introduced them in MLB trading cards in 2023.
When the cards were released and the chase to find the Flagg card began last month, the Mavericks offered a sizeable bounty for whoever found it. The package included a pair of premium lower level season tickets for 32 years (matching Flagg's jersey number), a meet-and-greet with players and an autographed game-worn jersey, among other perks.
The bounty offer was not unprecedented; The Pittsburgh Pirates made a similar offer to whoever found the debut patch card of pitching phenom Paul Skenes in 2024. Like the Flagg card, the person who found the Skenes card opted to auction it off. It sold for $1.11 million.
In addition to the Flagg card, Fanatics Collect sold debut patch cards from two other top NBA rookies on Thursday. The card for San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper sold for $2.88 million and Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel went for $2.34 million.
