Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant fractured a bone in his nose during the 2012 NBA All-Star game after being hit by Dwyane Wade, forcing him to wear a mask for 11 games during that season.
Bryant tried out a few different masks, and for a time became known as the “Masked Mamba” as he averaged 31.1 points in games he wore the mask.
Bryant did not enjoy wearing a mask, though, as he ditched it as soon as he could and never wore it again in his career. According to Ananth Pandian of CBS Sports, Bryant will be auctioning off one of his masks for his foundation. This will be the second mask he has auctioned off:
Bryant ended up auctioning one of his masks in 2012, raising over $67,000 for his foundation. Now four years later, another one of Bryant’s mask is up for auction and will likely sell for around the same amount. This mask is also quite unique as it is the first one Bryant wore after breaking his nose in the 2012 All-Star game.
The season he wore the mask was another strong one in the 20-year career of Bryant as in 2011-12 he averaged 27.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The 2011-12 season was famous for being the lockout season, as the Lakers played just 66 regular season game going 41-25 before ultimately losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
The Lakers are currently entering their first season since 1996 without Bryant, as he decided to retire after last season.
Bryant, of course, went out in style as he scored 60 points in his final game, leading the Lakers to a comeback victory over the Utah Jazz.