Uniform From Kobe Bryant's Last Road Game Goes Up For Auction

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Los Angeles Lakers v Oklahoma City Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 11: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers greets fans before the first quarter of a NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during his last road game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 22, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
Experts believe it will fetch over $500K.

The full uniform from Kobe Bryant's final road game has been put up for auction. The jersey, shorts, and shoes come from Bryant's 677th regular season away game, a blowout loss to the Thunder. Experts at SCP Auctions estimate that the jersey and shorts will go for over $500K while the sneakers, a pair of Nike Kobe 11s, will likely go for around $100K.

However, they are not the only Kobe-related items up for sale. There is also a signed, game-used ball from Kobe's iconic 61-point game at Madison Square Garden. Bidding on that is already over $12,600. Meanwhile, there is also a championship ring that was originally gifted to Kobe's father. The current bidding on that item is $44,000. All Kobe-related auctions are currently set to run until December 2.

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Victor Wembanyama Jersey Goes For Over $700K

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 11: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives around Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 11, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)

However, the Kobe auctions aren't the only NBA auctions going down right now.

Victor Wembanyama's jersey from his NBA debut has sold for $762K, nearly eight times the estimated price. The auction, handled by Sotheby's, opened last week and closed yesterday with an anonymous bidder coming away with the one-of-a-kind item. Of course, the price tag is nowhere close to the record set by Michael Jordan's 1998 Finals jersey ($10.091M). However, it's an amazing price for the jersey of a player less than 20 games into his NBA career. Furthermore, it did set a new record for the sale of an NBA rookie debut jersey. The all-time record for a full rookie uniform was set in 2021 with the sale of Kobe's rookie kit.

A major contributing factor to the auction, which reportedly drew 62 bids alone, is how Wembanyama has gone from strength to strength over the course of his young career. Of course, Wembanyama is no ordinary rookie. The Frenchman has been professionally in the well-regarded French league since 2019. While many European players come to the NBA with prior professional experience, few have that experience at the same level or hype as Wembanyama. By comparison, two-time MVP Nikola, who played three years in Serbia before the NBA, was a mid-second-round pick in 2014.

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About The Author
Ben Mock
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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