Three million dollars can buy a lot of things. A mansion in some cities. A small island if you're patient. An entire lifetime supply of bodega bacon, egg and cheese if you really commit to the bit.
Or, apparently, one slightly used basketball.
Not just any basketball, though. The ball from OG Anunoby's game-winning tip-in in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals is officially headed to auction at Sotheby's, giving one very wealthy Knicks fan the chance to own the thing that helped end 53 years of collective New York sports pain.
The moment came on June 10 at Madison Square Garden, with the Knicks trailing the San Antonio Spurs by one in the final seconds. Jalen Brunson launched a long 3-pointer, the shot missed and Anunoby came flying in for the putback with 1.2 seconds left. Knicks 107, Spurs 106.
It was already the kind of play that makes a city briefly forget rent exists, but the context made it bigger. The Knicks had been down by 29 points, making it the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. The win gave New York a 3-1 series lead, and three days later, the Knicks beat the Spurs in Game 5 to win their first NBA title since 1973.
Now the ball from that tip-in is Lot 3 in Sotheby's NBA Auctions Premier: 2026 Finals sale, which runs from June 30 to July 8. Sotheby's lists it as the 2026 NBA Finals "The Hand of OG" Game 4 game-used basketball and notes that it is tied to Anunoby's game-winner, the Finals comeback record and the Knicks' NBA Finals record 14 3-pointers in a half.
So how do you buy it? Technically, you bid through Sotheby's. Emotionally, you prepare your bank account for war.
Sotheby's hasn't publicly listed an estimate, instead marking it "upon request," but Business Insider reported that one sports memorabilia appraiser believes the ball could fetch between $2.5 million and $4.5 million. Another estimated it between $3 million and $4 million, with a $5 million insurance replacement value.
That might sound ridiculous until you remember what the ball represents. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's 2000 championship-clinching ball sold for $508,000 last year. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final regular-season game ball sold for $270,050 in 2019.
But none of those balls came with a 29-point Finals comeback, OG Anunoby's fingertips and 53 years of Knicks fans finally getting to be right.
