Rare Kobe Bryant Rookie Card Sells for $1.795 Million

Reuters
By Reuters
March 8, 2021Sports News
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Rare Kobe Bryant Rookie Card Sells for $1.795 Million
Kobe Bryant adjusts his jersey during a game against the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix, Ariz., on Feb. 19, 2012. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

A flawless Kobe Bryant rookie card, considered “one of the rarest in existence,” according to Goldin Auctions, has sold to an anonymous buyer for $1.795 million.

The Topps trading card is one of just two in the world considered to be in “black label pristine condition,” the auction house said, and is the most expensive Kobe Bryant card ever sold.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) champion died a little over a year ago in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and seven others at the age of 41, shocking the world of sport and sending fans of the Los Angeles Lakers star into mourning.

Gianna and Kobe
Kobe Bryant is pictured with his daughter Gianna at the WNBA All Star Game at Mandalay Bay Events Center, in Las Vegas, Nev., on Jul 27, 2019. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)

“The fact that it sold for the final auction price of $1.795 million, the all-time record for any Kobe Bryant card, speaks to just how beloved he was around the world,” said Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin.

The 18-time NBA All-Star retired from the league in 2016 after one of the most decorated careers in basketball history, and is the NBA’s fourth all-time leading scorer.

Basketball rookie cards, which are often coveted by collectors, are trading cards that are the first to feature an athlete after they reach the professional ranks.

By Amy Tennery

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