Kobe Bryant in November 2009.Photo:Harry How/Getty
Harry How/Getty
The last Los Angeles Lakers jersey and shorts thatKobe Bryantwore during a road game has sold for big bucks at a recent auction.
On Saturday,SCP Auctionsclosed the bidding on the “24” jersey and matching shorts that the late athlete wore during the final away game of his career on April 11, 2016. Twenty people made offers, with the minimum set at $50,000.
According to the website, the jersey size is 4XL4 and the shorts are a 3XL (Length +2” flag tag).
Bryant’s uniform also comes with an added bonus that any sports memorabilia collector is sure to find fascinating.
“One significant feature is a microphone pouch inside the front waistband so that Kobe could be mic’d up during games,” SCP Auctions' listing reads. “Most jerseys customized for mics keep this pouch along the inseam near the inner armpit; this may have been uncomfortable for Bryant, so he opted to keep it in his shorts instead. We know this was one of Kobe’s favorite pairs to take on road trips. Resolution has matched it to nine additional games over the last two months of his farewell season!”
In addition to the Black Mamba’s jersey and shorts selling for $366,967, theNike “Kobe 11 Elite Low"tennis shoes that he also wore during his final game went for $118,230. The two lots making up the full uniform sold for a combined $485,197
SCP Auctions said the items “have been perfectly preserved since the last time he suited up.”
Kobe Bryant and family on Dec. 18, 2017.Allen Berezovsky/Getty
Allen Berezovsky/Getty
Bryant played hisfinal away gamein Oklahoma City. The Lakers lost to the Thunder 112-79, with Bryant scoring 19 points.
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Bryant was seen holding the towel in photos and videos as he gave his farewell speech at the end of his April 13, 2016 game in Los Angeles. With the Body Armor towel draped over his shoulders, he ended with his famous phrase “Mamba Out.”
While the towel and a piece of hardwood floor hit the auction block, other key pieces of memorabilia from Bryant’s final game have not.
“The likelihood of any uniform piece (jersey, shorts, or shoes) from the ‘Mamba Out’ game ever seeing the light of day is slim-to-none. Those museum relics will surely stay in the Bryant family or perhaps end up in Springfield, Mass. some day,” SCP Auctions noted.
Bryant played his entire NBA career with the Lakers. The sports star died in ahelicopter crashthat also killed his 13-year-old daughter,Gianna, and seven others on Jan. 26, 2020. He was 41 years old.
source: people.com
