LeBron James is leaving the Lakers. Here's the most valuable cards from each stop of his career
LeBron James is returning to play another season, which is good news for card collectors.
James has told the Lakers he plans to play in the 2026-27 season, but for another team.
For 24 years, James has turned heads on the court — and on the collectibles market.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHis basketball cards are some of the most valuable to have ever been sold. His likeness and signature on cards have turned a modest hobby into an asset-class powerhouse seen today.
2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection ushered in a new era of collectibles. It was James' rookie year, and a generational talent deserved a card product worthy of the player.
Exquisite Collection was the first super high-value line of cards, using autographs, exclusive patch pieces, manufactured rarity and one of the top rookie classes to gain traction.
Just this weekend, a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autograph of James sold for nearly $3 million at Goldin.
AdvertisementAdvertisementBut it isn't just his rookie cards. James' cards have commanded high dollars regardless if he's wearing a Cavs, a Heat or a Lakers uniform.
Most expensive card sold
The most expensive basketball card ever sold features James alongside Michael Jordan. In 2025, a 2006-07 Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logoman Autographed card sold for $10 million in a private sale to a group headed by Kevin O'Leary.
The card shows a young James on his first run with Cleveland.
While the card gets the benefit of also having Jordan on it, LeBron's solo cards also command big bucks.
Top LeBron James sales
While the recent $3 million Exquisite sale was impressive, the record for a copy of that card came in 2021 where one sold for $5,200,000.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIn fact, eight of James' top 11 card sales are all copies of the Exquisite RPA.
Once we get past his first stint with the Cavs, his next-best-selling card is actually from the Lakers, skipping his two-time championship Miami run and his second tenure with Cleveland.
In May, a 2025 James Topps Chrome SuperFractor Autograph (1/1) sold for $1.26 million featuring him on the Lakers.
The thing that made this card different is that James is featured in an NBA uniform with a signature on the card. For years, Upper Deck held the exclusive autograph rights to James, so any Panini-era LeBron cards never had a signature on them.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJames leaving Upper Deck and signing with Fanatics changed that and created a type of card that hadn't been released in years.
If you're looking for the most expensive Miami-era card, that's a 2012-13 Panini Prizm Gold (numbered to 10), which sold for $793,000 in September 2025.
Cards from his second time with the Cavs are not as valuable (but still not cheap) despite him winning a title there.
The highest card sold from the second Cavs era is a 2015-16 Panini Flawless Logoman Patch Card (1/1), which sold for $240,000 in August 2022.
No matter the era, James' cards still command high value.
Now we wait to see what the next chapter will bring.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
