Ryan Fitzpatrick pulled off a heist as he got Magic Johnson to sign memorabilia collection, potentially gaining thousands of dollars

LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson allowed former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to pull off a heist during the Thursday Night Football broadcast. This came as Fitzpatrick was able to secure several autographs from the NBA legend. Fitzpatrick first revealed that he was wearing one of Johnson’s golden throwback jerseys underneath his suit jacket and asked him to sign it. However, he quickly took advantage of the opportunity, and then some, when he pulled out a series of other sports-related items for Johnson to sign. The five-time NBA champion obliged and began signing each item, with a big grin on his face.

Fitzpatrick got a number of things autographed including a basketball, a hat, a football, and a few different photographs. Considering the popularity of sports memorabilia, Fitzpatrick potentially walked away with quite the haul. Johnson’s regular signed Lakers jerseys alone go for hundreds of dollars and sometimes over $1k. Meanwhile, basketballs and photos autographed by Johnson are each worth hundreds as well.

All in all, Fitzpatrick likely raked in at least a couple thousand dollars with all the memorabilia he got signed. However, based on his reaction, it appears that the sentimental value is worth far more to the former quarterback.

Magic Johnson’s signed, game-worn 1980 NBA Finals jersey once went for $1.5 million at auction

LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson’s signed, game-worn 1980 NBA Finals jersey

As for the higher-end of Magic Johnson memorabilia, his signed, game-worn 1980 NBA Finals jersey went for a whopping $1.5 million at auction in 2021.

The jersey, which sold at Heritage Auctions, was worn by the Lakers legend during Game 6 of the 1980 Finals. This was the game in which Johnson recorded 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists as the Lakers dispatched Philadelphia 123-107 to win the championship. The title marked the Lakers’ first since 1972 and the first of Johnson's eventual five championships.

The jersey has quite an impressive history behind it, involving one of the NBA’s top franchises and top superstars on the league's biggest stage. So, it should come as a surprise to no one that it’s now one of the most valuable NBA jerseys of all time.

Johnson’s jersey was the highest-grossing item in the two-night “Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction.” In total, 2,600 bidders participated with the event’s final bidding total reaching a staggering $25 million.

“The auction was a success across the board, with incredibly strong results for our consignors as many new records were being set well into Monday morning,” founder and president of Heritage Sports, Chris Ivy said.

“One of the most exciting things about this event was the significant number of new bidders, who helped prove that the sports collectibles market remains extraordinarily healthy.”