An Ethereum NFT trading card portraying NBA rookie, Victor Wembanyama, has been sold for a staggering $110,000. This sale has outdone the previous record for one of Wembanyama’s physical trading cards.
The single-edition “Unique” digital card was released by Sorare NBA, an officially licensed fantasy basketball game. The auction concluded with the card, featuring this year’s first NBA draft pick, selling for 61.182 ETH – roughly $110,120.
Earlier, a physical Victor Wembanyama trading card had fetched $67,333 in August, through auction platform Goldin. This was a “pre-rookie” card sold ahead of his official NBA debut. The record-breaking NFT auction followed soon after Wembanyama began scoring for the San Antonio Spurs.
A representative from Sorare stated that this sale demonstrated Wembanyama’s exceptional talent and popularity, as well as the inherent advantages of digital Sorare cards over traditional physical sports collectibles, such as confirmed ownership and real-world utility.
Founded in 2019, Sorare initially launched with a fantasy soccer game and has since introduced league-specific games with the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. These games feature NFT trading cards that players can use to build their lineups and earn rewards like cryptocurrency and additional NFTs.
According to CryptoSlam data, Sorare has generated over $713 million in NFT sales across its platforms to date. The company was valued at $4.3 billion following a $680 million Series B funding round in 2021.
The highest NFT sale for Sorare NBA was in February, when a card based on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sold for 113.9 ETH, approximately $187,000 at the time.