A historic moment for basketball fans occurred when a Kobe Bryant jersey, which he wore during his impressive 2007-08 MVP season, went up for auction at Sotheby's. The bidding war ended with a jaw-dropping sale of $5.8 million, breaking all previous records for Kobe memorabilia. This particular jersey was worn by the legendary Lakers star in 25 games that season, where he showcased his unmatched talents, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals, with a shooting percentage of 45.9% from the floor and 36.1% from deep.
It's remarkable to think that this item now holds the second highest-selling spot for NBA jerseys ever sold, and ranks third among all game-worn memorabilia. Previously, a signed, game-worn jersey from Bryant's rookie season in 1996-97 held the record for the highest selling Kobe memorabilia. Interestingly, this MVP season was the only one Bryant received throughout his incredible career. It's noteworthy that this sale occurred just two weeks after another record-breaking sale at Sotheby's, where a LeBron James jersey from the 2013 NBA Finals was sold for $3.68 million, setting a new record for LeBron jerseys.
Kobe Bryant in his 17th season:
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopNBA) December 11, 2020
27.3 PPG
6.0 APG
5.6 RPG
1.4 SPG
46% FG
84% FT
• 8 games with 40+ points
• 10 straight games with 30+ points
• 1st team All-NBA
• 5th in MVP voting
Mamba was still a top 3 player in the league before the achilles injury. 🐍 pic.twitter.com/tT0tAgWThf
