OG Anunoby’s Knicks tip-in ball headed to auction, with Sotheby’s estimate reportedly reaching $3 million

A basketball relic tied to one of the most consequential moments in recent New York history is about to leave Madison Square Garden for the auction floor. Yahoo Sports reports that the game ball from OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals is scheduled to be sold by Sotheby’s starting June 30, with an estimate that could reach $3 million.

The tip-in is remembered as a pivot point in the Finals series, coming in the fourth game and serving as the kind of decisive, late possession that can turn a championship narrative. Anunoby’s role in that sequence elevated not only the scoreline of a single night, but also the broader storyline of the Knicks’ postseason run.

Auction-market interest in NBA memorabilia typically intensifies when the item can be traced to a specific, universally recognized moment. In this case, the ball is described as the one connected to Anunoby’s game-winning action, and the reported Sotheby’s timeline places the sale after the Finals concludes, when collector attention is often at its peak.

Yahoo Sports frames the auction as an opportunity for buyers to secure a piece of championship-era New York basketball history. Sotheby’s, a long-running auction house with a market for sports collectibles, is positioned to provide the venue for that demand through a formal sale that begins June 30.

The reported ceiling of roughly $3 million underscores how quickly “instant classic” sports items can become high-ticket collectibles, particularly when they come from a championship context. Estimates at auction do not guarantee a final price, but they reflect expectations for what comparable iconic pieces might draw from bidders.

For Knicks fans, the sale also acts as a reminder of how the Finals can produce artifacts that outlive the box score. For the broader NBA, it is another example of how player moments on the biggest stage can ripple outward into the memorabilia market.

If the auction proceeds as announced, attention will likely shift to the specific lot details once they are published by Sotheby’s, including how the ball’s authenticity is documented and what provenance materials accompany it. Collectors will also watch whether bidding remains concentrated among basketball memorabilia buyers or expands into broader sports and entertainment collectors seeking championship-linked items.