In 1996, a teenage Kobe Bryant laced up his sneakers and stepped onto an NBA floor for the first time – his Lakers jersey hanging slightly loose on his frame, the moment heavy with promise. Nearly three decades later, that same jersey is on the verge of becoming one of the most expensive basketball artifacts ever sold. And in doing so, it just leapfrogged one belonging to Michael Jordan.

Back in 2021, Bryant’s 1996–97 rookie season game-used, signed home Lakers jersey reached $3.6 million. It was photo-matched to the one that he wore for four games in the 1996–97 season. That record has already been broken. And now, another jersey is stealing the spotlight and is inches away from breaking that record. This latest jersey that surfaced on the auction block is also from Bryant’s 1996–97 rookie debut season.

It’s just the first day of the bidding, and the collectors have already begun to show keen interest. The first bidder has reportedly placed a $5.7 million bid. It has been photo-matched to a number of preseason and regular-season games and is known to have been worn on the court by Bryant at least seven times.

It also broke the sale record of Jordan’s rookie year jersey, which sold for $4.21 million. This came as quite a shock, considering both Jordan’s and Bryant’s memorabilia were expected to fetch $10 million earlier this year. Jordan’s jersey was quite a rare piece from the 1980s. Moreover, rookie products have been reported to be selling at good prices. That wasn’t the case with Jordan’s latest memorabilia.

There was an obvious concern that it might face the same fate as Jordan’s jersey. Some believed that private buyers tend to offer more. As of now, Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers jersey has certainly surpassed the Chicago Bulls legend Jordan’s jersey. But the question is, will this one be able to soar past its expectations? It’s close to the record of another one of Bryant’s jerseys, which was sold last year.

Kobe Bryant’s Lakers jersey receives $5.8 million 

Kobe Bryant’s Lakers jersey from his 2007–08 MVP season has set a new benchmark in sports memorabilia. The autographed, game-worn No. 24 jersey fetched over $5.8 million at a Sotheby’s auction in February 2023, making it the most valuable Bryant item ever sold and the second-highest price achieved for a basketball jersey at auction, trailing only Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for $10.1 million

This particular jersey holds significant cultural and historical value. Bryant wore it during 25 games in the 2007–08 season, including five preseason, 14 regular-season, and six playoff games. Notably, he donned it during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, where he famously celebrated a three-pointer by pulling at his jersey. It’s a moment immortalized in murals and photographs worldwide.

“With today’s (2023) result, Sotheby’s is proud to now hold the record for any game-worn items of sports memorabilia from basketball’s trifecta: Kobe, Jordan, and LeBron,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables, said. It is the highest-selling Bryant memorabilia ever. 

This was the year when he led the 57-25 Lakers to its first NBA Finals appearance after Shaquille O’Neal’s exit. Not to forget, this year, Bryant’s “Redeem Team” will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Will that add to the hype and skyrocket the bidding? If that happens, Bryant’s latest jersey could claim the top spot.