As of February, possibly the most iconic piece of NBA memorabilia and Kobe Bryant’s most valuable jersey to appear on the open market will be up for auction online at Sotheby’s.
Sotheby’s will be auctioning a special game-worn Kobe Bryant jersey that he wore 25 times during his 2007-2008 MVP season and it’s expected to sell somewhere between £4 million and £6 million.
During the 2007-2008 season, Kobe scored 645 points in the same jersey, which led to his only MVP season in his career. This is the exact jersey that’s been featured in murals and artworks depicting the NBA legend across the globe.
Sotheby’s have claimed that this is also the only gold jersey Kobe wore during the 2008 NBA playoffs and he wore it again for his official MVP portrait that year.
Kobe spent his 20-year professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in 18 All-Star games, winning two Finals MVP awards, and two gold medals with the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams.
Brahm Watcher, Sotheby’s head of streetwear & modern collectables said: “Sports artifacts with this type of long-term, heavy wear are a rarity in the collection space, with many modern items worn for just a single game.”
In the same auction, Sotheby’s are also auctioning LeBron James‘ 2013 NBA Finals Miami Heat jersey, expecting the jersey to sell for around £2.5 million to £4 million.
Sotheby’s was also where Skepta made his artistical debut and sold his painting “Mama Goes to Market” for £81,000 in September 2022.
Bidding for Kobe’s iconic jersey will begin online from Thursday 2 February – Thursday 9 February, with bidding starting around £4 million. The jersey will also be on display to the public in Sotheby’s New York galleries during the bidding.
The current record for any piece of Kobe Bryant NBA memorabilia is a game-worn and autographed jersey from his 1996-97 rookies season. The jersey sold for £3 million in 2021 at Goldin Auctions.
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