Kobe Bryant’s Rookie Jersey Sells for Seven Million Dollars

The jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers has been sold for seven million dollars at an auction held Thursday in New York, Sotheby’s announced today.

The jersey is documented with photographs from seven games of Bryant’s debut 1996–97 season, including his preseason debut on October 16 and his official regular-season debut on November 3, 1996, as well as his first NBA media day.

With a price tag of seven million dollars, this jersey becomes the fourth most expensive ever sold, following those of Babe Ruth ($24 million), Michael Jordan ($10.1 million), and Diego Maradona ($9.3 million).

“The earliest games in an athlete’s career are truly singular moments,” said Brahm Wachter, head of Modern Collectibles at Sotheby’s. “They mark the beginning of an extraordinary journey, and for legendary athletes like Kobe Bryant, such milestones hold even deeper meaning—they represent a unique point in time that can never be relived.”

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, tragically died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash in January 2020, which also claimed the life of his daughter Gianna and seven others.