An iconic jersey from the late NBA star's 2007-08 MVP season with Los Angeles Lakers has sold for $5.8 million with Sotheby's, marking the second most expensive jersey ever sold.
- Feb 10, 2023
AceShowbiz - Kobe Bryant is obviously still one of the most loved basketball stars, six years after his retirement. The late NBA star's signed jersey from his MVP season in 2007-08 with Los Angeles Lakers has broken a record at auction.
The iconic item from Kobe's memorabilia sold for $5,849,700 with Sotheby's on Thursday, February 9. It sets a new record for any Kobe item and marks the second most expensive basketball jersey ever sold.
The previous sale record for any item of Kobe sports memorabilia was set by a game-worn and autographed basketball jersey from the 1996-1997 season, which sold for $3.7 million in 2021.
"This jersey is iconic in a way we seldom see in sports artifacts," said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables. "The image of Kobe wearing this particular jersey during the NBA Playoffs has permeated in popular culture, reprinted on murals, books, newspapers [and] has become a symbol of his fierce determination and passion that has resonated with audiences across the world."
Brahm added, "With today's result, Sotheby's is proud to now hold the record for any game-worn items of sports memorabilia from basketball's trifecta: Kobe, Jordan, and LeBron."
The jersey was worn during Kobe's only MVP season. He wore the uniform for 25 games in 2007-08, during which he averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists while leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal left.
Kobe also wore the jersey the same evening he was awarded the regular season Most Valuable Player Award on May 7, 2008 and during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Per Sotheby's, the jersey's lot includes a collection of photographs by Greg Cohen of those murals. Also, there are a variety of materials that depict this jersey including artwork, magazines, newspapers, T-shirts, photographs, pins, books and others in the lot -- as well as photo matching and a letter of authenticity.
Experts initially expected the jersey to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million. Michael Jordan's 1998 "Last Dance" jersey, sold for $10.1 million with Sotheby's in September 2022, still holds the record for the most expensive basketball jersey ever sold.
