Years from now, when the New York Knicks reflect on their championship run, one passage of play from Game 4 of the NBA Finals will stand as the defining image — and the ball at the center of it is heading to auction.
The Knicks trailed by 29 points in the third quarter before storming back to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 at Madison Square Garden. That marked the largest comeback in Finals history.
OG Anunoby tipped in the winner with 1.2 seconds left, sending New York to a 3-1 lead and, days later, a first title since 1973. Now the ball that sealed it is for sale, though anyone dreaming of owning it should brace for the price tag.
Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images
The tip-in arrived at the end of a frantic finish. With New York trailing 106-105, Jalen Brunson launched a contested 3-pointer over Victor Wembanyama in the closing seconds.
The shot bounced off the rim, but Anunoby raced into the lane unmarked and tipped the rebound through. Moments earlier, he had also blocked a De'Aaron Fox layup that could have put the Spurs three points clear.
The ball goes under the hammer at Sotheby's on June 30th as part of a wider collection of Finals memorabilia, which includes game-worn jerseys, nets and other items from the title run.
The auction house has not attached an estimate to it, so expert sports collector Darren Rovell supplied one of his own.
Posting to his 1.8 million followers on X , Rovell wrote: "Goes live on Sotheby's June 30. Auction house is not putting an estimate on it so I will. $3 million."
Three million dollars for a basketball takes some getting used to, historic moment or not. But the demand will be there.
Sotheby's has listed it as "The Hand of OG" — and when bidding opens, someone will walk away with one of the most significant pieces of Knicks history ever sold.
Will you be bidding?…
