Portland teen thrifts a Los Angeles Lakers jacket for $3. Discovers it’s worth 83,000 times what he paid

A routine trip to a Goodwill Outlet in the Portland, Oregon area could soon turn into a six-figure payday for 19-year-old Quinn Brown. Brown reportedly paid a mere $3.07 for a vintage Los Angeles Lakers warm-up jacket at the Hillsboro Goodwill Outlet in January, 2026, just outside the city.

Months later, experts authenticated the garment as one worn by NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals and the 1972-73 season, leading Sotheby’s to estimate its auction value at $150,000 to $250,000. At the high end of that estimate, the jacket would be worth more than 83,000 times what Brown originally paid.

According to Willamette Week, Brown spotted another shopper holding the gold-and-purple jacket before the person tossed it back into a clothing bin. Brown immediately picked it up because he believed it looked unusual and began researching it after bringing it home.

Stitching patterns and construction details offered clues

While researching, Brown compared stitching patterns and construction details with historic photos of Chamberlain. He also noticed the jacket featured vintage Scovill buttons, which helped support its age. After members of the vintage resale community encouraged him to seek professional authentication, he consigned the piece to Sotheby’s.

Sotheby’s arranged authentication through SIA Photo Match, which matched the jacket to photographs of Chamberlain wearing it during three Los Angeles Lakers games, including the 1972 NBA Finals. The auction house describes the warm-up jacket as a “rare and significant” piece of basketball history.

According to reports, the estimated value reflects both its confirmed use by one of the NBA’s greatest players and its connection to the Lakers’ 1972 championship run. Chamberlain’s game-worn memorabilia has commanded high prices in recent years.

In 2023, Sotheby’s sold his 1972 NBA Finals jersey for $4.9 million. That made it one of the most expensive basketball jerseys ever sold at auction. Reports say how the jacket wound up in Oregon is unknown.

The jacket is part of Sotheby’s Summer Sports Marquee auction. Bidding opened on July 1 and is scheduled to close on July 20, giving collectors several weeks to compete for the historic item. The pre-sale estimate remains between $150,000 and $250,000, although the final sale price could exceed that range if bidding intensifies.

Brown has built a business buying and reselling vintage clothing since high school, but he told local outlets this discovery stands apart from anything he had previously found. According to Willamette Week, Brown plans to invest most of the auction proceeds in either an index fund or real estate. Before doing that, he intends to take a trip to Vietnam with friends shortly after the auction concludes.