March 2, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that their special edition red jerseys, worn on Valentines Day and then auctioned off at Hornets.com, raised more than $22,000 for the American Heart Association and Hornets Charities. The red jerseys marked the first time in franchise history that the team wore a color other than its signature teal, purple, gold and white.
"We're thrilled with the response that Hornets fans from across the country had to this auction," Hornets director of corporate communications Michael Thompson said. "The red Valentine's Day jerseys are truly a part of history, and the fact that they outperformed autographed All-Star jerseys from the league's biggest stars speaks volumes about our fans and the unique nature of this memorabilia."
The collectable jerseys were auctioned off from February 15 through March 1. Fans who bid on the jerseys were directed to the NBA auction site which displayed other memorabilia from around the league.
The Hornets special edition jerseys held their own against some pretty stiff competition in the month of February receiving higher bids than almost every piece of autographed 2007 All-Star memorabilia. Chris Paul's red jersey went for $5,550, followed by David West's at $3,800. Both surpassed autographed All-Star jerseys from two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash ($2,425) and Gilbert Arenas ($2,275).
All of the 15 red jerseys sold for at least $450.