Photo Credit:Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images
A piece of basketball history has just set a new benchmark in sports memorabilia. The jersey worn by the late Kobe Bryant during his NBA debut season sold for an astounding $7 million at auction on Thursday, according to Sotheby’s. This sale marks the highest amount ever paid for any item associated with the Los Angeles Lakers legend, who tragically passed away in a 2020 helicopter crash alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others.
The jersey, an iconic yellow No. 8, was worn by an 18-year-old Bryant during several key moments of his rookie year: media day, his preseason debut, and his official NBA debut on November 3, 1996, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although he played only six minutes and scored no points in that game, the symbolic weight of the moment was enormous. Sotheby’s photo-matched the jersey to six games from the 1996 97 season, confirming its authenticity and elevating its historical value.
While Bryant averaged a modest 7.6 points per game in his first season, his eventual legacy was anything but average. Over the course of two decades with the Lakers, he secured five NBA championships and earned a place among the sport’s all-time greats. Sotheby’s described the jersey as a physical link between Bryant’s raw potential and the legendary career that followed.
Previously, the record for Bryant memorabilia stood at $5.85 million—paid for a game-worn jersey from his 2007-08 MVP season. The new record not only eclipses that mark but also exceeds the $4 million paid for Michael Jordan’s debut jersey. Still, Bryant’s debut jersey ranks fourth overall among the most expensive game-worn jerseys, behind Babe Ruth’s “called shot” jersey ($24 million), Michael Jordan’sV1998 NBA Finals jersey ($10.1 million), and Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup shirt ($9.3 million).
According to Brahm Wachter, head of modern collectibles at Sotheby’s, early rookie jerseys capture a pivotal point in an athlete’s journey. “For collectors in search of true one-of-one treasures, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own iconic pieces of basketball history,” he said.
Bryant’s impact extended far beyond the basketball court. Even years after his final game, his legacy continues to resonate with fans and collectors around the world. The extraordinary price paid for this jersey is a testament not just to his skill, but to the enduring power of his story—a story that began the moment he first stepped onto the NBA court in that now-iconic jersey.