Sports
Olympics drove interest in women's sports cards, Snoop Dogg pins and more
The Olympics are an event that can fuel growth in interest and popularity, not just for a given sport or individual athlete, but for an array of collectibles, as well. The global nature of the Olympics, the way they cross-pollinate fans of different sports and draw in very casual or even non-sports fans — it’s something that can supercharge demand.
Take basketball for example — the men’s gold-medal game between the U.S. and France averaged 19.5 million viewers in the U.S. alone, whereas the most recent NBA Finals averaged 11.3 million viewers. The women’s gold-medal game drew 7.8 million viewers in the U.S. (at 9:30 a.m. ET), and last year’s WNBA Finals averaged 728,000. While that sudden influx of new eyeballs can produce a brief and immediate surge of interest that just as quickly evaporates, it can also be the foundation for longer-term growth in some cases. It can be an introduction that creates new fans and collectors.
With that in mind, let’s look back on the 2024 Olympics using insights from eBay:
Athletes (and rappers) who saw a surge of collector interest
The most searched Team USA men’s basketball players within eBay during the Olympics were LeBron James, Anthony Edwards and Steph Curry. James and Curry’s places there shouldn’t be surprising, given their status as legends of the game and how they came through in big moments for Team USA, but Edwards being searched at that level within a marketplace (rather than just on a more general interest platform like Google) is noteworthy.
The day Team USA beat Serbia in the semifinals, Edwards’ ungraded 202o Panini Prizm silver card (a popular parallel in the most popular NBA set that has a bit more favorable supply/demand balance than his plentiful Prizm base rookie card) returned to the price level it reached at the start of the NBA Western Conference finals in May (around $320), when he was one of the postseason’s top performers to that point, up from the sub-$200 level it dropped to in late June/early July. Edwards didn’t produce a standout performance in the semifinal or final of the Olympic tournament, so there has been another decline, but the card remains higher than the lows it hit after his NBA playoff elimination. He’ll need to take another leap forward this season and have better showings in key moments in order to further grow the level of collector interest in him, though.
Steph Curry (left) and Anthony Edwards after receiving their gold medals. (Photo: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
On the women’s side, the most searched Team USA players on eBay were Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, and Kelsey Plum. Taurasi didn’t play in the gold-medal game and averaged just 1 ppg for the tournament, but she won her sixth gold medal — a new record for the sport. Noticeably absent from that group is A’ja Wilson, who was named MVP of the tournament and is also the clear favorite to claim a third WNBA MVP trophy this season. There have always been players who far outperform the level of collector interest in them, but this looks like a generational talent/all-time great being seriously undervalued.
The Olympics provided a boost to women’s sports collectibles though. Katie Ledecky sales grew throughout the Olympics, peaking with a new all-time high of $4,037 for her 2024 Topps Chrome Ledecky Legacy autographed superfractor (a one-of-a-kind parallel, pictured below). Two Simone Biles cards sold for more than $2,000 each. But perhaps most impressive was that two superfractors, one autograph and one patch, from the 2024 Topps Chrome Olympic set of Ilona Maher, star of the USA rugby bronze-winning team, sold for $1,743 and $1,500, respectively — not too far off from those sales for Biles, a more established star in a sport that’s more popular in the U.S.
Assessing long-term value of Olympic athletes in sports that don’t hold annual mainstream interest in the U.S. is always difficult. Ledecky and Biles could hold strong since the former is tied for the most career Olympic gold medals among female athletes (nine) and the latter isn’t far behind (seven) and both have more of a cultural presence. Their legacies are set. But unless rugby undergoes a dramatic rise in popularity, it seems difficult for Maher to have the same staying power. (That said, monetary value often isn’t the primary concern for collectors — particularly if they never intend to sell a given item — and waiting for more buyer-friendly conditions when one-of-a-kind items become available often isn’t possible.)
The USA women’s soccer team won gold thanks in part to the trio of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson (or “Triple Espresso,” as they’ve nicknamed themselves), who all scored big goals and all saw big eBay search spikes when they did. Searches for Swanson jumped 580 percent on eBay (compared to the previous week) after she scored the gold medal clinching goal against Brazil. Cards from the 2024 Topps Chrome Olympic set that bear autographs from both Smith and Swanson (pictured below) have drawn particular interest, with peak sales prices of $628 and $700 on August 18, a week after the tournament closed.
A couple of non-USA athletes who also had big search spikes were the men’s tennis finalists. After he won the gold medal, searches for Novak Djokovic rose 450 percent compared to the week prior and searches for silver-medalist Carlos Alcaraz rose 80 percent. These are two of the biggest names in an already popular sport, so the fact that Olympic success could provide a surge in marketplace searches is a testament to the new wider audience the event brings. With the U.S. Open now underway and a newly released Topps Chrome tennis set, there will be an opportunity to retain some of that interest.
The Olympics can also blur the already sometimes fuzzy lines between sports and non-sports collectibles. Snoop Dogg’s custom Olympic pins went viral, resulting in global eBay users to search “Snoop Dogg pin” almost 140 times per hour on July 30 and 31. And since the 2028 Olympics will be in his hometown of Los Angeles, this may not be the last we hear of Snoop Dogg Olympic pins.
Coco Gauff’s got the @SnoopDogg #Olympics pin 🤩#Paris2024 | #tennis pic.twitter.com/W6zRDFoeae
— ITF (@ITFTennis) July 29, 2024
Industry views
As The Athletic continue to grow its collectibles coverage, we’ll include perspectives and observations from around the hobby. Since this is our first time diving into eBay insights, we begin with the executive who oversees their collectibles operation.
Interest in the Snoop pin and Olympic pins in general points to the variety of collectibles that have gained in popularity in recent years.
“Obviously trading cards is a huge, huge piece of it, but the thing that’s fun is you see new categories that emerge and sometimes those things disappear again and sometimes they stick around,” eBay vice president and general manager of global collectibles Adam Ireland told The Athletic during the National Sports Collectors Convention last month. He cited sealed vintage electronics and Type 1 photographs as examples.
“Someone once told me that it’s sort of that 25-year window when you start hitting nostalgia and that’s the point where people have got the money now and are spending on things that tie them back to those happy childhood days,” he added, saying that they’re seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merchandise take off as it now fits that window for older generations, while the franchise’s new movies and shows draw in a younger audience as well.
Chad Ochocinco draws a crowd to an eBay Live broadcast at The National. (Photo courtesy of eBay)
Trading card games, which can hit on that nostalgia appeal, are also driving a lot of interest. Ireland says he is “super bullish” on them. “Obviously (Disney) Lorcana has been another big boost to that area, but you’ve still got Pokemon going strong, some of the recent Magic: The Gathering releases have been really, really successful. … (Lorcana) and Disney collectible pins, a lot of historical artifacts, toys, vinyl – there’s just so many categories (in the collectibles space), but you do find that sports as a single thing becomes the largest piece.”
“King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,” the Netflix series about Goldin Auctions, which eBay recently acquired, is something Ireland sees as helping to broaden interest in collectibles.
“It’s easy to think about collectibles as a niche area, but they hit number four on the Netflix charts and that’s just going to bring more and more people into the hobby,” he said. “It’s amazing how many people I’ve spoke to about and they’ve been like, ‘Oh my wife watched the show and now she understands why I get excited about this stuff.’ And so from that point of view I think it’s just going to open it up, it’s going to democratize it more.”
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(Top photo: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
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We’re approaching the biggest sporting event North America has ever hosted.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place across the USA, Canada and Mexico in 13 days.
Bettors and fans already have their sights set on the global spectacle, which will kick off on June 11. The World Cup final will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
After the World Cup groups were announced in December, Spain opened as the favorite at +450, followed by England (+550) and France (+750).
Now, with less than two weeks to go, Spain has slightly drifted to +475, with both France and England making up ground on the oddsboard.
Let’s dive into the odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29.
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2026 World Cup winner odds
Spain: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.5 total)
France: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
England: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Brazil: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Argentina: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Portugal: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Germany: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Netherlands: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Norway: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Belgium: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Colombia: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Morocco: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Uruguay: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
United States: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Switzerland: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Japan: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Mexico: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Croatia: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Ecuador: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Senegal: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Sweden: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
HOST NATIONS
United States
The United States is led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards, with several players competing in Europe’s top leagues. The U.S. has appeared in 11 previous World Cups, with its best finish coming in 1930 when the team reached the semifinals.
Canada
Canada’s key players include Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, giving the squad top-tier pace and goal-scoring ability. Canada has made two previous World Cup appearances, and is still looking for its first win ever in the tournament.
Mexico
Mexico’s top contributors include Raul Giménez and Edson Álvarez, forming a strong mix of attacking talent and midfield stability. Mexico has played in 17 previous World Cups and reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986.
UEFA TEAMS TO KNOW
Spain
Spain’s top talents include Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, forming a core that blends elite playmaking with scoring depth. Spain has appeared in 16 previous World Cups and won the tournament once, lifting the trophy in 2010. The team also won the 2024 Euros.
France
France enters with Kylian Mbappé as the star player, with the 26-year-old just five goals shy of passing Miroslav Klose (16) for the most career goals at the World Cup. France has made 16 previous World Cup appearances and won the title twice, in 1998 and 2018.
England
England’s key players include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, forming one of the nation’s strongest generations in decades. England has reached 16 previous World Cups and won the trophy once, in 1966.
Germany
Germany features Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich as central figures in a talented squad. Germany has participated in 20 previous World Cups and won four titles, most recently in 2014.
Portugal
Portugal’s top group includes Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, with Cristiano Ronaldo still involved as the team’s all-time leading scorer and cap leader. Portugal has competed in eight previous World Cups and recorded its best finish in 2006, reaching the semifinals.
Netherlands
The Netherlands features top players such as Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Denzel Dumfries, forming a core built around elite defending and midfield control. Memphis Depay should also be on the team, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. The Netherlands has appeared in 11 previous World Cups and finished as runner-up three times, in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
CONMEBOL TEAMS TO KNOW
Argentina
Argentina is anchored by Lionel Messi, with Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez— headlining one of the most talented rosters in the tournament. Argentina has played in 18 previous World Cups and won three, including the most recent tournament in 2022.
Brazil
Brazil’s roster is led by Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Marquinhos, giving the team elite attacking and defensive quality. Brazil has appeared in every World Cup and holds a record five titles, with its most recent one coming in 2002.
Uruguay
Uruguay’s leading players include Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo, forming a core with elite midfield range and speed. Uruguay has appeared in 14 previous World Cups and won the tournament twice, in 1930 and 1950.
Colombia
Colombia is headlined by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, with the former playing for Bayern Munich and the latter having a decorated World Cup résumé. Colombia has made six previous World Cupsand recorded its best finish in 2014, reaching the quarterfinals.
CAF TEAMS TO KNOW
Morocco
Morocco’s key contributors include Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazaroui and Brahm Díaz, each with major European club experience. Morocco has appeared in six previous World Cups and achieved its historic best finish in 2022, reaching the semifinals.
Senegal
Senegal’s top players include Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye, forming one of Africa’s most experienced cores. Senegal has appeared in three World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Ghana
Ghana is led by Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams, giving the squad strong playmaking and midfield presence. Ghana has competed in four previous World Cups and reached its best result in 2010, making the quarterfinals.
AFC TEAMS TO KNOW
South Korea
South Korea is headlined by Son Heung-min, supported by key players such as Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in. South Korea has played in 11 previous World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the semifinals as co-host.
Japan
Japan features Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma as its leading players, blending top European experience with emerging talent. Japan has appeared in seven previous World Cups and reached the Round of 16 four times, its best result to date.
Australia
Australia’s top players include Jackson Irvine and keeper Mathew Ryan as its most experienced members. Australia has competed in six previous World Cups and reached the round of 16 twice, in 2006 and 2022.
OFC TEAMS TO KNOW
New Zealand
New Zealand is led by all-time leading scorer Chris Wood, with 45 international goals to his name. New Zealand has appeared in two previous World Cups (1982, 2010), and did not advance from the group stage in either appearance.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
Last week, a lawyer representing the two-time reigning NBA MVP sent a cease-and-desist letter to sports prediction market and fantasy sports company Underdog that includes a demand for the destruction of all copies of the cheeky and extremely limited-edition game Unethical Hoops.
Done in the style of the children’s classic Operation, Unethical Hoops requires players to use tweezers to pull objects from tiny holes, with the slightest touch of a metal border setting off a buzzer indicating failure.
Instead of pretending to be doctors attempting to remove body parts from a patient, however, Unethical Hoops players act as members of an opposing basketball team trying to take the ball from a cartoon character who very much resembles Gilgeous-Alexander.
In this game, the buzzer represents the whistle of a foul-calling referee.
“Shai has made hoops all about foul baiting and now you’re stuck guarding him in Underdog’s new board game,” a description reads on the game’s website. “Don’t get baited. Steal the ball without getting whistled.”
In a letter dated May 22, attorney Eric Fishman of ArentFox Schiff LLP demanded that Underdog “immediately and permanently cease and desist from any and all use of Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL in any and all media, including but not limited to your website (including the Unethical Hoops Website)… and any physical goods including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website.”
The notice also calls for Underdog to “immediately destroy all physical goods or advertisements that use Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL, including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website,” as well as a promise never to use the star player’s name, image or likeness without his permission.
Fishman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times.
According to the Unethical Hoops website, which remains active more than a week after the date on the cease-and-desist order, only 100 copies of the game were made, to be given away to Underdog users. The giveaway ended as scheduled on Friday.
Underdog declined to comment on the matter other than to point out that the company has pulled comical stunts at the expense of members of the sports world.
“We’ve poked fun at Knicks and Lakers fans, the Red Sox owners, the Mets and more,” a spokesperson said via email. “We like to have some fun with whatever is in the sports fan zeitgeist.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is a four-time All-Star who led the league in scoring last season (2,484 points) and was second in scoring this season (2,117). He led the Thunder to their first NBA title last year and has them back in the Western Conference finals this year (the decisive Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs is Saturday in Oklahoma City).
While one of the NBA’s biggest stars, Gilgeous-Alexander is often criticized for the number of favorable foul calls he receives — he has ranked second or third in the league for number of free throw attempts per game in each of the last four seasons and is currently second among all players in the 2026 playoffs with 9.8 a game — and the lengths he appears to go to in order to receive them.
After Game 2 against the Spurs, one NBA fan account on X wrote, “Shai flopped on every single shot attempt” and posted a video that showed seven such examples (Gilgeous-Alexander actually attempted 24 shots that night). The post has been viewed 22.7 million times.
Earlier this week, prior to Game 6 of the conference finals, another fan account on X posted a video “ranking all 44 times SGA fell on the floor while shooting during the 2026 playoffs from least to most egregious.” That post has been viewed 1.3 million times.
As the cartoon likeness of Gilgeous-Alexander states in the Unethical Hoops ad, “so much as breathe on me, I’m getting the call.”
The real-life SGA was asked during a TV interview after Game 3 in San Antonio about the “flopper!” chants that rained down on him at Frost Bank Center.
“It’s part of the game,” he said. “It’s nothing. I’ve been dealing with it for a long time. I don’t really hear it. I’m focused on what’s going on on the court.”
Sports
Spurs blow out Thunder, force Game 7 as Victor Wembanyama leads the way with 28-point double-double
Trump says he thinks he’ll attend NBA Finals game
President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that he believes he will attend an NBA Finals game next week, as the New York Knicks make their first Finals appearance in nearly 30 years.
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The Western Conference Finals will come down to a Game 7 after the San Antonio Spurs routed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 118-91, in Game 6 on Thursday night.
Game 7 heads back to Oklahoma City, where the winner will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals after New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
With their backs against the wall, the Spurs did what was necessary on their home court and then some. And it was their phenom, Victor Wembanyama, leading the way.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 28, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The 7-foot-4 big man led the Spurs with 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including four three-pointers made, while notching a double-double with 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks.
This was the performance head coach Mitch Johnson and the rest of the team needed from Wembanyama, and he was up for the challenge as the Thunder were looking to make it back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
Instead, the Thunder’s three-point shooting woes returned in San Antonio, much like they did in Game 4 of this series. They took a whopping 40 threes, but only cashed in 10 of them, finishing 25% from beyond the arc on the night.
SPURS SNAP THUNDER’S PLAYOFF WIN STREAK BEHIND VICTORY WEMBANYAMA’S INCREDIBLE GAME 1 PERFORMANCE
As a team, the Thunder shot just 37%, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the culprits for the poor shooting night. He had just 15 points, going 6-of-18 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point land. Lu Dort was also ice cold from three, going just 1-of-9 and 2-of-11 for the game.
Meanwhile, San Antonio was getting more than just “Wemby” contributions, especially from rookie Dylan Harper, who played a vital role in the blowout off the bench.
Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 28, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Harper was quite efficient when he had the ball in his hands, going 6-of-9 from the field for 18 points, while tallying six rebounds and four assists in his pivotal 22 minutes off the pine.
And in the starting five, Stephon Castle was getting to the rim like he’s supposed to, scoring 17 points while dishing out nine assists for the Spurs. Devin Vassell also hit four of his seven three-point shots for 12 points, while Julian Champagnie poured in 10 more with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks on the other end of the hardwood.
The Spurs saw 12 different players contribute on the scoreboard in this contest, some of whom made their way into the game when the Thunder conceded and already started to focus on Game 7. And that swing came in the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Thunder, 32-13, and started to run away with this must-win game for their franchise.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference finals NBA playoffs in San Antonio on May 28, 2026. (David J. Phillip/AP)
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Now, folks, it all comes down to the ever-suspenseful Game 7, where the Thunder will hope one last home game will give them the juice to push their way into the Finals.
But the Spurs are hoping to recreate 1999 by earning a matchup with the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
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