Barack Obama's #23 Punahou High School basketball jersey has hit the auction block, and it is expected to sell for more than $100,000. As of this writing, the current bid sits at $30,000 with 19 days still remaining.
According to the listing, the jersey was worn by an 18-year old Obama during his senior year, as part of Punahou's 1979 Hawaii State Champion boy's varsity basketball team.
Heritage Auctions states that the jersey was nearly tossed away when the team received new jerseys, but the man who wore #23 for Punahou after Obama made sure it was preserved.
"It was fortuitously rescued from being discarded when the new varsity jerseys arrived on campus only because our consignor Peter Noble, three years behind Obama at Punahou, had worn the same number "23" jersey while on the junior varsity team. We can see the multiple years of wear in the softness of the tackle twill identifiers and the "Rawlings [size] 40" label at lower right front tail, and even a scattering of small stains consistent with blood, perhaps Obama's. A patched repair at lower front left likewise documents the long, rough-and-tumble history of the historic garment."
Check out some images below, courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
