Few trading card stories capture the magic of timing, legacy, and loyalty like the rise of the 2007–08 Upper Deck Exquisite Dual Logoman Autograph card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
What began as a modest $25,000 purchase by collector Gerald Fortier in 2013 has now culminated in a record-shattering $12.932 million sale, making it the most expensive sports card ever sold.
Gerald Fortier wasn’t chasing a quick flip when he acquired the one-of-a-kind card. The Dual Logoman, featuring authentic NBA logo patches from game-worn jerseys and the autographs of both Jordan and Bryant. was the crown jewel of his collection. At the time, $25,000 was a significant investment, but Fortier saw something deeper: a piece of basketball history that transcended stats and signatures.
“I didn’t buy it to sell,” Fortier later said. “It was the centerpiece. Something I never thought I’d part with.”
In 2015, just two years after acquiring the card, Fortier was approached by a longtime customer with an offer: $170,000. It was a staggering jump in value, and while Fortier was reluctant, the deal was too compelling to pass up.
For the next decade, the card remained in that same private collection, quietly gaining mythical status among collectors. Its rarity, being the only Dual Logoman ever produced featuring just Jordan and Bryant, combined with Kobe’s tragic passing in 2020, elevated its emotional and historical weight.
Fast forward to the summer of 2025. At the National Sports Card Convention, Fortier was manning his booth when the same customer who bought the card approached him, not to negotiate, but to say thank you. The buyer handed Fortier a 2004–05 Exquisite Michael Jordan patch autograph as a gesture of appreciation. Why?
Well, on August 23, 2025, the Jordan–Bryant Dual Logoman went under the hammer at Heritage Auctions. The final price: $12,932,000. It shattered the previous record held by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card ($12.6 million) and more than doubled the highest basketball card sale, Steph Curry’s rookie Logoman, which sold for $5.9 million.
Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage, called it “the most sought-after example of the Upper Deck Logoman series,” noting that it will forever be the only card to feature just Jordan and Bryant.
While the sale made headlines, the story behind it is what truly resonates. Gerald Fortier may no longer own the card, but his role in its journey is etched into hobby lore. From a $25K leap of faith to a $12.9M legacy, he helped preserve a piece of basketball history, and reminded the world that collecting is about more than money.
