NBA Kobe's Uniform Sold at Auction for 7.4 Billion Won

Second Highest Earnings from Basketball Uniforms
1st Place is Michael Jordan with 12.7 Billion KRW

The game-worn jersey of the late Kobe Bryant, who played in the American professional basketball league (NBA), was sold at a U.S. auction for $5,849,700 (approximately 7.36 billion KRW).

On the 10th, the U.S. sports media outlet ESPN reported, "Bryant's signed jersey from the 2007-2008 season, when he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP), was sold for $5,849,700 at the Sotheby's New York auction." This is the highest auction price ever recorded for Bryant-related items and the second most expensive basketball jersey auction in history.

Bryant's uniform sold for $5,849,700
Photo by AFP

Bryant debuted with the LA Lakers in 1996. Until his retirement in 2016, he left numerous records including five league championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, one regular season MVP, 18 All-Star selections, and four All-Star Game MVPs. After retiring, Bryant said he was "living a happier life than expected," but he suddenly passed away in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

The jersey sold at the auction was worn in 25 of the 82 regular season games during the 2007-2008 season, the only season he was named regular season MVP, and he also wore it during the playoffs and conference finals.

Meanwhile, the highest auction price for a basketball jersey to date was Michael Jordan's jersey worn in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, which sold for $10.1 million (approximately 12.7 billion KRW) in September last year. This is also the highest price ever recorded in sports-related auctions excluding sports cards.

ESPN reported, "It is rare for sports-related auctions excluding sports cards to exceed $5 million," adding, "In June 2019, Babe Ruth's jersey worn between 1928 and 1930 was sold for $5.64 million, and in July 2022, Muhammad Ali's championship belt was sold for $6.18 million."

Additionally, in 2019, the Olympic Declaration written in 1892 was sold for $8.8 million, and in May last year, Diego Maradona's jersey worn during the 1986 Mexico World Cup quarterfinal match against England was sold for $9.28 million.