Tom Brady has massive respect for LeBron James, so when the opportunity arose to own a piece of history featuring the Los Angeles Lakers star, the NFL legend took action even if it meant spending a quarter of a million dollars.
During Fanatics Fest, Brady made it clear how much he admires James. In fact, he even called him the "greatest" NBA player ever while appearing in a live taping of "The Shop" on stage.
"The intensity that's been on — the Olympics, the different teams he's been on, and he's always done things the right way," Brady said of James. "He's always risen above all the noise and all the BS and continued to deliver. So you're witnessing the greatest ever, and I hope you all appreciate that."
Making it even better, Brady didn't just say it. He showed through his actions how much he believes James is the greatest by putting his money where his mouth is.
After he won the first-ever Fanatics Games — and collected the $1 million prize money that came with it — Tom Brady approached the fan who finished third in the competition and offered to buy the 2003-04 LeBron James Topps Chrome Gold Refractor that the said entrant won.
A deal was reached , with Brady paying $250,000 for the rare James card. The New England Patriots icon also gave the fan a signed jersey and card.
For what it's worth, a similar card with the same BGS 9.5 grade sold for $900,000 at an auction back in 2022. Ever since then, however, the card market has seen a significant dip in prices.
Still, for Brady to buy one of the rarest rookie cards of James is a massive pick-up. It also fits the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB's portfolio of investments, especially since he's in the sports collectible business with his company, CardVault by Tom Brady.
