A jersey worn by US basketball legend Kobe Bryant — who died three years ago in a tragic helicopter accident — sold at auction for $5.8 million on Thursday.
The sale by Sotheby’s in New York set a new record for any Bryant item at auction but came in under the upper pre-sale estimate of $7 million.
The price was comfortably more than the previous high of $3.7 million paid for a jersey worn by the Los Angeles Lakers titan, who won five NBA titles and two Olympic gold medals.
Game-worn sports memorabilia is big business.
Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for $10.1 million in September 2022, is currently the most valuable such item.
Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey sold for $9.3 million at Sotheby’s in London last year.
Bryant’s iconic yellow-and-purple number 24 jersey, put up for sale by an anonymous owner, was worn by the legendary Laker in 25 games during the 2007-2008 season, Bryant’s only as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
In one of those appearances — a post-season game against the Denver Nuggets on April 23, 2008 — photographers famously captured Bryant celebrating after a successful three-point shot, gripping his jersey and letting out a primal scream.
The image has since been plastered on walls around the world by street artists, especially in Los Angeles, where Bryant played his entire professional career. (Barron’s)