Kobe Bryant's death early last year continues to ripple across the NBA as the player's legacy materializes, and is carried on by surviving teammates. While the late player's wife remains in battle against those profiting off of her husband's death, one diehard fan brought the holy grail of Kobe collectibles to auction this week with a whopping price tag. The item in question, with a minimum bid of $100,000, is a pair of Adidas basketball shoes worn by Kobe during his first NBA game ever, in 1996.
The shoes were apparently given to the fan by Kobe after his debut 1996 game, of which is performance fell short of his career standards. The late Lakers veteran scored no points during his only six minutes off the bench, though it seems this fan still saw the potential in the player. Interestingly enough, the fan secured a second encounter with Kobe just years later where he got him to autograph the sneakers, boosting the value even more. The late NBA legend had a sneaker deal with Adidas until 2002.
Bidding on the shoes started at $100,000, though it's believed that the price could easily settle in the $500,000 range. This seems a fitting price for the coveted pair of shoes as they marked the beginning of Kobe's record-breaking career. Though Kobe retired in 2015 after 19 years in the game, he remains at #4 for all time points scored with 33,643 career points. Kobe also won 5 championships during his 19 year stint with the Lakers.
RIP Kobe.