Kobe Bryant is one of the true legends in NBA history and the things he accomplished throughout his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers won’t be matched for a very long time. One of the things that made his career truly special was the fact that he had legit Hall of Fame careers both as No. 8 and No. 24.
Bryant came into the league wearing No. 8, but chose to switch to No. 24 ahead of the 2006-07 NBA season. This would mark the beginning of the second act of Kobe’s career where he would win two more championships and cement himself as one of the greatest basketball players to ever step foot on an NBA court.
These days, Kobe items are going for record prices in auctions across the country and now another piece of memorabilia is for sale as Bryant’s game-worn jersey from his debut with the No. 24 is set to be auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
“This jersey is not merely a relic of a single night, but a symbolic artifact from a career that bridged eras and identities,” said Brendan Hawkes of Sotheby’s Sports Strategy and Development. “Signed and inscribed to forever link it to the debut of No. 24, it stands as one of the most culturally and historically significant Kobe Bryant jerseys ever to surface — the tangible starting point of a chapter that would help define his legend.”
In this particular game, which was actually the Lakers’ third game of the season as Bryant sat out the first two while dealing with knee soreness from offseason surgery, he eased his way back in with 23 points and six assists in a victory.
This season was one of Kobe’s best in terms of individual performance as he won his second consecutive scoring title, averaging 31.6 points to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He also had 10 games with at least 50 points, including a stretch of four-straight 50-point outings with two of those being for 60 or more.
The jersey will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s New York in a live auction on Sept. 30, following the auctioning of the jersey worn by hockey icon and another L.A. sports legend, Wayne Gretzky, in the final game of his career. The Bryant jersey is estimated to sell for more than $1 million.
Mystery bidder for Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordan card revealed
A trading card featuring both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan was recently sold for $12.9 million. While the bidder for the card featuring the Lakers legend was initially a mystery, it was ultimately revealed to be Kevin ‘Mr. Wonderful’ O’Leary.
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